BubbleGum HYTE
by LV426
Summary: You expect a concert to be a good time. And even better when its your favorite star and your friend playing side-by-side... But a killer on the loose could change that. COMPLETE!
1. Anticipation

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Notice: BubbleGum Crisis and BubbleGum Crash are owned by their respective owners. Origanal characters are iether my own or I have permission to use them from their owners.  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 1: Anticipation  
  
"Why does today have to go so slow?" Nene thought to herself as she sat behind her desk at the AD Police headquarters. A small sigh as she let her head rest on her hands and elbows escaped her, as she looked at the clock again for what had to be the 50th time in the last 20 minutes. "It's bad enough when your waiting with nothing to do...." Her eyes perked up at the last part of this thought, "but at least tonight we all go see Vision's concert!" She smirked to herself as she thinks about it. Linna was VERY willing to go, almost as willing as she was herself, but Priss... she wouldn't be caught dead at this show...  
  
  
"Not even to hear your song played on stage?" Nene asked teasingly, knowing this would at least spike her friend's interest a little.  
  
"Yeah right... and I'm supposed to believe she will do that?" Priss responded, not missing a beat as she, Nene, and Linna walked down the street. "I would sooner believe you recently inherited the throne of England."  
  
"Then its time to bow to royalty..." Nene added with a rather taunting air, her eyes closed and head tilted to add drama to her act. "She has asked Linna if you would mind if she covered 'Tonight a Hurricane' as part of her show."  
  
Only now did Priss even begin to get curious. It's no secret to any of them that Linna knows Vision personally, and the two could well have spoken. "oh? And what did you tell her, Linna?"  
  
Linna fidgeted. "Well, you see... I wasn't sure what you think of the idea, I told her to come visit and talk to you... I hope you don't mind." The look on her face at this point was one of a person who had just been caught in a crossfire... and knew it full well.  
  
"You told her to come see me, huh? Why? You KNOW I'm just gonna tell her no. That song is MY song and I will sing it. Not some masquerading little brat who is afraid to let her mask drop and say her real name in the public eye!" Priss wasn't yelling... at least not yet.  
  
Linna glared at Priss... she has heard this speech about her friend before, and never really appreciated such an attitude to her. She leveled a glare at Priss, "Listen. Reika is not just some brat. Talk to her for yourself and see exactly what she is all about."  
  
Priss didn't think too much on this, choosing for now to back out of this before it got into a real fight with her usual non-committed "yeah, whatever." And they walked on in silence.  
  
Nene, on the other hand, only giggled a little to herself, knowing that Linna just won that argument. Vision will get a chance to talk to Priss...  
  
  
...at least not before that meeting. Now Priss has been given the ultimate gift by Vision. She will FINALLY get a chance to be on stage in a MAJOR concert! The feature song will be "Tonight a Hurricane" as a duet of the two singers! "Man, I never thought Priss could EVER get as excited as she has been about this." Nene said to herself, looking at the clock again for the 51st time. "Even if she tries to hide it, she hasn't been to successful. Both of us know just how hyped she is." She sighs. "I just wish Sylia could see this, but she isn't back from Germany yet..."  
  
* * *  
  
In Dr. Raven's Garage, Priss was just wandering about as she let herself go from one piece of machinery to be worked on to the next. She didn't care to terrifically what she was looking at for once. The good Doctor, watching her as he munched on his lunch, smiled a bit and nodded understanding. He knew full well what REALLY was occupying her mind this night. She was going to the concert in about 30 minutes and was on edge. Yeah, Priss has been on the stage before, but the sheer numbers has left her a little edgy. She was going to sing a duet of her own song with VISION in her concert tonight! While she may not care terrifically either way about singing with Vision, the idea of singing in front of a sold out crowd of well over 150,000 is something else entirely.  
  
A slight and ironic smile crossed Priss' lips. She spoke low and to herself. "Priss Asigiri, who has always dreamed of being heard by a much bigger audience than the Hot Legs could supply finally gets a part of her dream, and gets a case of stage fright. Bet this would be a great one for the gossip circles." She shook her head, trying to feel a bit more at ease, but also some part of her knowing once she is there, she will do as well as she does at the club. "And if that's not good enough for them, then they can kiss my ass like everyone else."  
  
"Ahh... I wouldn't worry about that, Priss... you know you will do fine."  
  
Priss turned stunned to hear someone else. She looked right at Dr. Raven, more than stunned that he would even say anything. Usually he doesn't comment about her singing, probably because the style is not his taste and he can be polite... "Uh... thanks..." she blinked a moment before coming back to her usual bad-ass looking expression. "but they really can, kiss my ass, pops."  
  
Dr. Raven turned red. "DON'T CALL ME..."  
  
Both finished it, Priss with a smile on her face. "Pops..." She laughed... this was the reliever she really needed. "Thanks... doctor..." Her face lightened a bit. "Say, is Mackie gonna get a chance to get here to see this? I know Sylia won't. The research they are doing is way too important to her, but I wasn't sure if he would come back for this or not."  
  
Dr. Raven shook his head. "I'm sorry, Priss. He can't. I think his sister would find it an insult for him to leave like that. Or at least that is how it sounded when he called last time."  
  
"oh... I see."  
  
"but he did wish you luck."  
  
A slight smile... a good friend to have doesn't just leave you in the cold. "Tell him I said thanks." She then went back to her own bike, which was parked just inside the door of the garage. "hey pops! I gotta split. If I'm to leave for the show in 30 minutes, I better make sure I have all my stuff together."  
  
"Alright. Enjoy yourself... and DON'T CALL ME POPS!!!!!"  
  
With a laugh, Priss revved her bike, waved her farewells, and sped home to her and Linna's apartment.  
  
* * *  
  
Linna was in a similar position as Nene, both at their desk, watching the clock, though that is about where the similarities end. Linna was rather busy as she took calls from clients and made various stock deals for them. She was as eager as her friends for tonight, but she had other things on mind: Namely, the daily activities of her job, and making sure to put a good front forward for her boss. She didn't dare slack off. Not that she would anyway, but she hasn't been at this firm very long, and she still wanted to make sure she made it look as worthwhile to keep her as she believed she was.  
  
"Yes, I think that is a good buy. In fact, I'm taking care of it for you right now, miss." She hit a few buttons in front of her. "All done.... No, no need to thank me like that. I'm the one on the job for this, remember?" she laughed a little, glad to see some people could be nice from time to time.  
  
"But then, of course they will be nice. I'm making them some serious money right now," she thought to herself, smiling quietly. Yep, staying with this career choice was definitely the right move. "Even so, I cant wait to get out of here today... It will be good to see Reika sing again."  
  
"Who?"  
  
Linna gasped in shock and damn near dropped the phone she was holding. "Oh... uhh.. sorry.. I didn't mean to say that out loud." She blushed deeply, embarrassed to the extreme for talking to herself while on the phone, AND for damn near giving out Vision's secret. "she would NEVER forgive me for that," Linna thought.  
  
"Oh... uh... ok, then.... Uhh... is buying into Mecha-Corp a good buy, then?"  
  
"Yeah... it should be moving up.. just... just use a little caution in how much you want, alright?" By now, Linna was back on her game and back in full swing.  
  
"Alright, lets start with 100,000 yen."  
  
"Alright, then, sir."...  
  
* * *  
  
It was no surprise to Priss to find the place empty when she got home. Linna, after all, was still at work and would not even think to go home for at least another hour. She, however, couldn't wait for her friend and roommate to return. The concert wouldn't wait for anyone, and she had to be there early for final setup and system checks. She quickly went to the closet, getting her costume... the classic slightly puffed blond wig and all, and laid it out on her bed. A slight smile came to her face as she looked at it.  
  
"It's been too long, my friend. Too long since I did this." After the thought, she went into the closet once again and produced a suitcase and packed the costume from her days with "Priss and the Replicants" into it. "Wonder how the band is doing? Hopefully they could get another singer... or work out something."  
  
She hadn't heard from them in a while, as she tended to keep a strictly business relationship with her previous partners in music. Her reasons for doing so, still not pleasant in her mind, and enough to remain distant to most, though not all anymore.  
  
Priss shook her head to clear it of this line of thought. "No need to be down on things tonight. For once, I should probably just enjoy myself," she thought as she closed the briefcase, "and what might come of the night."  
  
Having her costume ready, she went to the door of the apartment, looking one more time to make sure she didn't forget anything she would need for this night. Satisfied, she let out a sigh and turned to the outside. A few strides and door closing later, she was on her way to the concert, ready to meet with Vision for the concert that promised to be the biggest of both their lives.  
  
The trip took far longer than expected. Priss has always sped along the roads at well over the speed limit, and tonight would be no exception. Not even the high traffic of Vision's fans driving the same place as she would really slow her down. Though admittedly, she learned for the second time since the "Griffon incidents" that she really learned just how bad other drivers on the road can be... and just how careful she should be around them. After the third person nearly hit her off the road, she finally slowed her bike to a slow (for her) 120 Kilometers per hour.  
  
"HEY! WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING, YOU ASSHOLE!" Priss belted at the 4th car to nearly destroy her bike as she was cut off. "You would think people would know how to do this better. I mean, I know I gun it, but DAMN! I don't TRY TO TAKE PEOPLE OFF THE ROAD!" She let herself simmer down rather than continue to yell. No point in killing her vocal cords before she showed them all what she could do. With that idea in mind, she groaned and just pulled on, finally reaching the hall where all this would take place... Vision was taking her to the Big Egg II Stadium.  
  
Entering the building was no treat. Before she even tried, the crowd gathered around the doors said it wouldn't be. Priss groaned as she parked her bike in the back. "Damn... why must everything get complicated. Well..." she made her way into the crowd, eventually finding a line to the door deep within it. She only shrugged and walked on, getting about 5 people up before a man put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"WHERE do you think your going? You have to wait like everyone else."  
  
Priss gave him a look that would stop a charging Rhino cold. "I have business within. I suggest you let go now." The man was too stunned to do anything but remain frozen... until Priss took his hand off her shoulder with her opposite hand... and twisted it behind his back. "and touch me again and I will take your arm off." She allowed herself to smile rather nastily, letting the fear sink into the man. "Understand me?"  
  
The man gulped and as soon as she let him go, he backed off, letting Priss move on. This was not to last, however, as the crowd began to grumble that this "bitch" (to use the term of the crowd) was going to get away with it. This did not concern Priss too much, however... at least not till they seemed to move toward her like a mob.  
  
"Oh shit... I cant take them all," she thought, as she proceeded, seeming as calm as ever.  
  
Before anyone made a move, however, Priss' unsaid prayers were answered. The bouncer outside the doors was looking right at her, as somebody approached him. A few moments of communication between the two, and the man in the brown suit walked into the crowd... taking Priss' hand. He spoke calmly and with the air of someone in his element. "Come with me please, Ms. Asigiri." And with that, she was in...  
  
* * *  
  
Vision waited nervous in her dressing room, as her attendants put the finishing touches on her costume. "How can she be this late? I know she doesn't like me terrifically, but this is just not professional," she thought to herself. She sighed and looked at the clock. Sure the show doesn't start for another three hours, but they needed the time to finalize everything, and Vision was not the kind of woman to want to do everything last minute. She took a walk into the hallway to see if her guest had arrived yet. She wasn't far from going back in with a sigh as Priss came around the corner, escorted by one of Vision's people, some kind of debate going on between them, and by the look on the young lady's face, not a pleasant one.  
  
Priss watched the man leave more than annoyed as Vision approached her. "Can you believe that guy? He told me I was the rude one! I swear! If I let every man push me around like that..." she growled a moment... before she saw who had come up and she was complaining to. "Oh... there you are... I'm sorry, Reika. I didn't mean to be so late..."  
  
"Please... I'm not about to worry as to why you are late. But we have to get you ready for the show, come with me please." And with those words, Vision pulled Priss to her dressing room...  
  
The expression on Priss' face went to shock, then to pure anger as a familiar man in a pink jacket, shades, and an earring stood up from in her chair before the mirror and approached the two of them.  
  
"Priss, baby! Been far too long! Say, you ready to take your place as a STAR?" His hands moved in the air with the word star, looking up with a sparkle in his eyes like he could see Priss in the cosmos (despite being in a normal everyday changing room).  
  
"What.... Is he... doing here..." was all Priss could stammer... she had been through the traffic from hell, a rowdy crowd, and for what. To find the man who tried to con her into being some stupid cutesy bimbo on stage with nothing to really say in music that wasn't even hers?!?!?  
  
Vision watched the response of Priss with a bit of shock. "He's uh... the stage director for this show... do you know him?"  
  
"Yeah... he was my agent at one time. Till he..." Priss froze in shock. "Did you just say he was the stage manager tonight?"  
  
"That's right, Babe. By the way, I have your costume ready for you. Care to see it?"  
  
"Do I have a choice?"  
  
Before he speaks, he is already at the closet, his hand moving with the word 'love.' "Oh you will love it! Now where did I put it..." He digs around furiously. "Ah! HERE it is!" And as he produces the dress, Priss' jaw drops... it's an all too cute frilly green dress with a purple bow in the center...  
  
"You want me to wear that?" She shakes with anger before turning to Vision way too calmly. "Can I punch him out now? Or do I have to wait till after the show."  
  
Vision blinks a moment. She is about to say something to support the agent, but sees the gleam in Priss' eye, and knows she WILL kill him if she isn't calmed now. "Perhaps... its best to let Priss pick her own costume this time..."  
  
The man looks at the two girls as if he will argue, but only gets as far as "but, but..." before Priss starts on him.  
  
"You heard her! Leave me alone already!"  
  
Finally, he gives up. "Alright, then I guess we are out of here. See you in the lounging area to talk about the show when your done getting dressed."  
  
That getting dressed took no more than 15 minutes. By then, she was in front of Vision and the agent in her full glory, looking like she did when she used to play with "Priss and the Replicants." The other two had been planning a while and only now did they fill in Priss for what was the first thing in Priss' day that was really productive at all...  
  
* * *  
  
Linna looked around for Nene outside the Big Egg II stadium. "come on, Nene. No way work can keep you out this late..."  
  
As if answering the words, Nene came running down the sidewalk about then. "LINNA!!!! LINNA!!!" She didn't wait for an answer before almost bulldozing her friend over.  
"Well what took you, little miss cyberpunk?" Linna asked teasingly. Yeah, she was annoyed, but then, Nene DID come through after all.  
  
Nene promptly ignored the name. "I couldn't find a parking space. Sometimes, I think I should borrow Leon's cruiser for these things. No one would DARE cut me off then!" This brought both girls to laughter.  
  
"Say, Nene, what seats do we have?"  
  
"I'm actually not sure... When I found that Vision had given these seats personally, I was too nervous to look."  
  
"Well, come on then..."  
  
Nene produced an envelope labeled simply 'Linna and friends' she had picked up for Linna the day before, and slowly opened the envelope...  
  
...till Linna took it. "Oh come on! I want to see," and with those words, Linna tore open the envelop and took out the 5 tickets... looking at them, she blinked. "Nene? We... are in the first row..."  
  
Dead silence... till Nene yelled out in excitement and nearly toppled Linna as she tackled her.  
  
* * *  
  
"15 minutes till showtime. Makeup everyone!" a crew member yelled.  
  
Vision didn't say a word. She just got up and walked calmly to her dressing room.  
  
"Makeup?" Priss looked confused. She never thought about makeup.  
  
"Well of course, Babe! You need to," the agent places his hands to form a rectangle between his fingers and thumbs, "look your best when you get yourself on stage." And before Priss can begin to argue, she is shoved in her dressing room where about 5 people in black t-shirts wait for her.  
  
"Just sit down, Ms. Asigiri, and we will take care of the rest," one of them said before she was pulled into the chair and the circus to try to make her up began. It lasted all of 5 minutes as Priss fought furiously to keep them from putting anything on her, and they only took her seriously as she punched one man into the door of her dressing room.  
  
"I SAID ENOUGH! IM NOT OUT HERE TO TRY TO BE PRETTY! IM HERE TO SING, DAMMIT!" she screamed as she stormed out, making a point to step on the man she punched, not sure if he was the one who pinched her, but really not caring. Someone was paying for it. She fumed to the bathroom to clean up, and soon came out as she looks regularly again when she is about to go on stage.  
  
Vision looked at her and finally shrugged... you can win them all, I guess. "You ready?"  
  
A slight smirk on Priss' face. "As a friend of mine likes to say... It's show time!" 


	2. Show Stopper

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: Diortem  
  
Chapter 2:  
  
Nene and Linna took their seats as quickly as they could, both very eager to see this show. For one, both of them were very big fans of Vision, and for second, it was a given that they would be here to support their friend Priss. The crowed filled in around them, besides the seats they held the extras for, some rowdy, some trying to keep a calm face, but all of them were ecstatic to be at this show.  
  
Nene looked around rather worried, as if expecting someone. "Linna... When you said you were inviting someone with the extras, who did you think you could get at this short notice?"  
  
Linna grinned. "You wait. I think you will be glad to see these two." Her eyes thinned a little, as if she was being a little smug. "And Priss will be all the more happy for it, whether she cares to admit it or not," she said more to herself than anyone.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Nevermind," she laughed and waved her hand dismissing it. "When they get here, you will know."  
  
* * *  
  
Leon looked at his phone as it told him he had a call. Not really worried at who it might be, he picked it up. A young lady in mid-length black hair with a headband keeping it in place and out of her face answered. "Um... hello? Can I speak to a, Mr. McNichol?"  
  
"Speaking... what's up, miss?" He kept a rather professional attitude, despite wanting to instantly play the lady's man on the phone. Who knows... this could be someone he would have to work with soon and may regret that so soon.  
  
The girl spoke with a charge in her voice and a big grin on her face. "Hey there, this is Linna Yamazaki, a friend of your co-worker, Ms. Romanova?"  
  
"Nene? Yeah.. she is a good kid..." his eyebrow went up. "Has she done anything to warrant this call?"  
  
The girl was flustered... bringing a smile to Leon's face. He loved to mess with Nene's head from time to time, so why not mess with her friend's as well? However, she continued to speak. "Well, um... no. I just wanted to know if you cared to spend a night out with us at..."  
  
She didn't get any farther before Leon took over again. "No, I don't think so. She is a good kid and all, but I think tonight I'm just gonna go home."  
  
"But it's at the Vision concert." Her timing couldn't be much better with this, as Daley was coming into the office with their civilian jackets, about time to close shop.  
  
"That's all very nice and..."  
  
...And Daley nearly tossed Leon out of the seat and took over the phone. "WHAT?!?!?!?.. err.. ahem... excuse me, miss." He then turned on his partner. "Your about to throw away the chance to go see Vision now? Are you INSANE?!?!?"  
  
"Not insane, just not interested."  
  
With a grunt, Daley looked indignant at Leon, before turning back to the phone. "Don't worry miss, we will be there."  
  
Linna grinned. "Thank you, um... I'm not sure what your name is..."  
  
"Its Daley Wong."  
  
"Well, Nene will be happy to see you..." she looked over her shoulder and quickly back kinda panicked. "But I gotta go. I want it to be a surprise for her when you two show up. Bye!"  
  
Daley looked at Leon as the machine snapped to lifelessness. "And you were going to back out on 'poor little Nene?' Sometimes Leon..." He put on his jacket and went out the door, leaving Leon to follow, knowing he will probably hear about this for a few weeks.  
  
* * *  
  
And here they were, now a few minutes before showtime. Leon looked at the crowd, not sure how he was expected to get in through all these people. Daley, however, was more on the ball. In the lobby, he went straight to the information booth, leaving Leon to watch everyone come in, one or two of which spread out in front of him, waiting for him to search them. After the second couple did this, he finally figured it out and sighed. "Its gonna be a long night..." Leon thought to himself.  
  
Daley, meanwhile made his move to find the ladies who invited them to this show. Leaning on the desk, he waited patiently till a man with long white hair, and almost scary deep dark eyes walked up to the desk. The man looked at him like he could see through him. "Can I help you, sir?"  
  
Daley took a moment to recover from the shock of the man, before grinning. "Yeah... A miss Nene Romanova and her friend... um.. dammit, I don't remember her name..." He turned and belted as loud as he could toward Leon, "HEY LEON! CAN YOU GET OVER HERE A SEC?" A moment passed before he realized Leon couldn't here him. He turned back to the man. "Um... I will be right back..." and he sped off, straight to his partner.  
  
Leon hadn't moved from where at this point he had sit down, against a wall, where he would be left alone and not asked for the 500th time "where is the bathroom?" How would he know? He has been here how often, once? Maybe twice? A hand on his shoulder jutted him out of this train of thought with a start. "Huh? Wha? Oh... what's the deal Daley?"  
  
Daley winked, in a playful mood... before the show can begin, he was already hit with the energy of it. "Well, hun, I need you to tell me something... what was the name of Nene's friend who called?"  
  
Leon groaned... this was not the place to toy like that, but then with a smirk, Leon thought about it, who would dare bother him if he played up to Daley? An image of a bearded biker in a leather jacket hitting on him abruptly changed his tune. "Well, lets see.... I think her name was Saka.. something... Linna Saka...... oh I don't know..." he shrugged. "Sorry..."  
  
Daley smirked and patted Leon on the back. "It's alright, that should do the job...." And he ran off, leaving Leon to his thoughts again, but not for long, before he heard Daley yelling for him. "Come on, Leon! The ladies are-a-waitin!" He got up, a look on his face like "the little bastard did it" and followed, not too concerned how the show will be, but he did intend to mess with Nene a little on his entrance.  
  
* * *  
  
Nene finally gave up watching for the 'mystery guests' and settled in for the show. She wasn't exactly sitting next to Linna, rather between them was a seat filled with all kinds of snacks Nene decided she had to have ready, because she WASN'T getting up once it began, besides to the music, of course. This decision was all the more absolute as she watched wide eyed as the curtain lifted...  
  
The perfect opportunity for Leon to make his move... he slid into the seat next to her and grabbed a chocolate bar. Nene, only seeing the hand turned in anger to him... "WHY YOU LITTLE..." she went dead silent as she stared the grinning face of Leon down, to the amusement of Daley and Linna.  
  
"Well it's good to see you too... I just didn't think you would be so defensive over a chocolate bar."  
  
Now blushing, but still kinda angry with her friend from work, she grabbed the bar from him quickly and put it back. "Not till you say please, Mister!" The anger in her eyes was too much for anyone in this little group, as even Leon who was the target of it burst into laughter.  
  
However, she didn't have time to stay angry as it was about now that the lights dimmed, a warning that the show was about to begin. So with a last dirty glance at her co-worker (and at the moment friend she wouldn't admit is one) she sank into the seat... hitting him one more time before Vision came on stage.  
  
* * *  
  
The crowd simply erupted as Vision made her way onto the stage, bringing a genuine smile to her face. This is the kind of thing she really needed to see, as there are both good and bad memories in returning to Tokyo. Last time she had come, it was not really to sing, but to avenge her sister. The pain of losing the Irene was still raw with the memory, but it was a now mutual friend, Linna, that had brought her to her senses about it before it was too late. Now she returned, this time really to sing, and to let herself perhaps move on in her life... with finality.  
  
She began her first song, a new one she hadn't even named yet. A few people were confused as she began, but the song was a hit, and before the first refreign, she had the whole place clapping in time to the beat. She finally let herself relax as she really got into the next few songs. After her 5th song, she stopped a moment, and looked out into the crowd...  
  
"Thank you, everyone. And thank you all for showing up. You have no idea just how glad I am to be here tonight." The crowd roared all the louder before she continued. "Now I know this wasn't originally planned and advertised, but I have a very special surprise for you. The woman I am about to bring up has played before in a local club, and this will be her first time in a televised show. Please welcome, Miss Priss Asigiri!"  
  
The crowed roared all the more as Leon nearly choked on the candy bar he finally got Nene to give him. "Did she just say Priss was going up there?" he managed to gasp once he stopped choking.  
  
Both Nene and Linna nod in unison as the young lady strides in from the back of the stage... some clap louder... others stop stunned. Wasn't this the bitch who basically wrecked a man for telling her to wait in line? What was she doing on stage? Priss took the second mic.  
  
"Woah... a split house, huh? Just like when I started at the club." Priss sighed and spoke more to Vision than anyone, but still into the mic., "well, its not like we won't win them over like back in the good old days." Now she returned to the audience, "Now who is ready to ROCK!" The crowd cheers. "Then let's go!"  
  
Vision's band starts up... but the music isn't as light as Vision normally does. Instead, they bring the show its best moment... "Tonight, a Hurricane!"  
  
* * *  
  
As the show ended, and the final bows (after the encore), the crowd was just ecstatic. Priss and Vision teamed up more than won their hearts, and it left Priss with a warm feeling. She wouldn't admit to the other half of the cause though, as Leon was there to see this. She shook her head, aggravated to even let that slip. But she couldn't stay upset for too long, I mean, this was the chance of a life time, and it really took off, well except for the one guy she busted up and his friends on the way in, they would not be turned for ANYTHING. Ah well, who needs them...  
  
Priss turned to Vision as they left behind the stage. "Thank you so much. This was the perfect night."  
  
Vision smiled. "What can I say? I knew you would do well out there. Thank you, for letting me join you with those songs. You have some real talent writing."  
  
The moment was killed however by a certain agent who Priss hates with all the passion in the world. "FABULOUS show, everyone! Really! Now, I think we best get to the front, hmmm babe? The fans are going to want signatures.... You too, Priss baby!"  
  
With a murderous glare to the agent, Priss marched off toward the main lobby, leaving Vision to follow. "great... just great... one of the BEST moments I have known in my career, and that IDIOT has to get involved. Why am I cursed?" she mumbled to herself, wishing the man who was now looking around like 'what did I do?' would just die and leave her to live a happier life.  
  
These thoughts disappeared rather quickly as she got to the table where she and Vision would begin to give signatures. The crowd was eager for BOTH of them, something she didn't even now expect. A smile came to Priss' face. This was it...  
  
* * *  
  
BA-BANG! It happened so fast, Priss didn't even have time to think. She heard the gunfire, and her instincts from the street took over, as Priss ducked down behind the table she pulled Vision with her and kicked the table over to act as a kind of shield. It was only then that she noticed the wetness on her hand. She looked quickly, and saw the blood splattered on her shoulder and dripping down her hand... and the lifeless body of Vision that she had just tried to save... one hole in her forehead and one through her heart.  
  
Priss took a second to let Vision down with a suprising gentleness for her. She knew by the end of the night that she had really miss-judged the girl, but she never got a chance to really say anything. And now, once again, someone who would be a close friend is dead in front of her... just like it used to be...  
  
"Snap out of it Priss," she grumbled to herself, beginning to shake with rage. "Now is not the time to feel so damn sorry for yourself." She got up slowly and with extreme determination in her eyes. "It's time to find who the hell did this..." Jumping her shield, she looked around for the murderer, some of the crowd still there, and the panic still high in the air. It was really pure luck she saw someone on the other end of the crowd. A shape, really, but none-the-less someone who was also not in panic and/or not trying to control it. Rather, the man was just walking, and not to an exit, but to the back of the building, a pistol still in hand. Priss made an effort to move through the crowd, only to be stopped by a hand on her shoulder...  
  
"Ms. Asigiri... you best get yourself out of here, like the others," the man who was at the desk told her with a soft voice, which really didn't suit his build.  
  
Priss looked at him angrily. "HEY! I THINK you would be better off to use your size and look into the man walking the other way. To be over-calm in this situation would be a bit suspicious, don't you think?!?!?"  
  
"the man walking?" the big man was obviously confused by this.  
  
"Yeah, you idiot! There was a man going down that way! Didn't you see him?"  
  
The man shook his head. "No... but there are no exits that way, so why would he go there. In any case, the police can handle him. It's their job, after all."  
  
"Look... I don't know about you, but I don't see the police as very competent, do you?"  
  
The man thought about this a moment, and shrugged. "Well, I don't know either way there, but you really should come with me, anyway."  
  
Priss by now had given up reasoning with this obviously thickheaded man (in her view anyway), and with a small effort and his surprise at it, she broke free and charged after where she saw the man go. But by now, of course it was too late. He had gotten away. Cursing under her breath, Priss turned around and walked out.  
  
* * *  
  
Leon was in line mainly because of Nene when the gunfire was heard. Instantly, he turned to see where the shots were heard from, already drawing his gun. "What the..." in another second, he had his badge out. "AD Police! Do NOT panic. Just exit quietly and wait outside." Of course no one listened. For the moment, anyone besides Nene, Daley, and suprisingly, Linna were too busy running from what might be a mass killing. "Damn. Ok, Nene? Go to check on Ms. Vision. See if she is ok. Linna? Make a call to headquarters. Get someone here NOW before the guy who did this gets away." Both nod and go about their task. "Daley?"  
  
A grim smirk crossed Daley's face. "I hear ya. Lets get this bastard, partner." Both began to run after the direction of the gunshots. It wasn't long before they saw something out of character. A single man in a gray trenchcoat casually walking to the back of the building... and the pistol in his hand.  
  
Nodding to Daley, Leon began to move forward on him, Daley backing him up, in case the man should do something rash. When he got to about 10 feet away, Leon yelled, "HEY! Hold it RIGHT THERE, Mr. We need to have a word with you." The man didn't even turn around.  
  
Leon was stunned. This was a direct order from an officer. Most men would have at least paid him lip service, and in this case would have frozen in fear. Annoyed he continued. "I will ask one more time. Stop now..."  
  
Now the man stopped, but only to talk, and not even to turn around. "What is it you wish to ask of me? I am a busy man, and I don't have time for this."  
  
"Yeah, I bet... And don't you know any manners? Turn around and face me when you talk to me."  
  
Without a hint of reaction, the man did so, revealing almost nothing... he was just set of shapes... shaded remarkably well by his trenchcoat. "Well, you have my attention. What do you want of me?"  
  
"Your arrest for one. You are now the prime suspect."  
  
The man waited a moment before speaking again. "What do you mean suspect? The job was complete."  
  
Daley was stunned out of his silence. "Did you just confess to attempted murder?"  
  
"Murder... and take it however you wish. It won't matter."  
  
Leon was fuming by now, wanting to punch this man just for his arrogance, but he held back for the sake of not giving this guy a police brutality story to use. "Please just give me the excuse... I will take a punch or two to wipe your arrogance around the floor," he thought to himself. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT WON'T MATTER?" he screamed at the guy.  
  
"It won't matter. Because I wasn't here." As he said this, he seemed to physically fade away like a ghost. But his voice was clear as ever. "This should be the last time we meet, Mr. McNichol." And he was gone. Voice, and physically, he wasn't there anymore.  
  
"What the hell?" Leon asked out loud.  
  
"My thoughts, exactly. Hey, how did he know your name?" Daley asked.  
  
Leon spoke through gritted teeth. "I have no idea..."  
  
With a blare of sirens, the AD Police made their way to the stadium, and as soon as they arrived, began to question the people there. Leon sighed, knowing he would get hell for this, and made his way back to the front, Daley next to him, awaiting the worst as well. 


	3. Accusations

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 3: Accusations  
  
Linna waited as calmly as she could for the interrogations of her friends to finish up. Priss was, of course, going to be there for a while. She was the last one with Reika while she was alive... and from the yelling by both involved, was obviously not in a cooperative mode.  
  
Nene also had not returned yet, though there was much less commotion coming from that room. "Guess it's just that she is a cop, so she might have caught more of it," Linna thought to herself. With a sigh, her mind began to wander on tonight, as she wondered what she could have done, but did not. She couldn't fight this path of thought, even as her rational mind rejected it.  
  
A hand on her shoulder startled her back into this world as she looked up into the concerned face of Nene. "You ready to go, Linna?" she asked, with as much concern in her voice as was in her expression. That concern did not lift with Linna's once again downtrodden face nodding.  
  
Linna got up and slowly walked to the front door, Nene right beside her, and even opening the car door for her. It hadn't even occurred to her to wonder who would take care of her car... all she thought about was trying to keep her mind as blank as she could.  
  
The drive home wasn't much better either... the longest drive Nene had ever been on... and by far way too quiet. She glanced at Linna from time to time, who remained seated and pretty much looking ahead, the worry for her friend never leaving her. "Poor Linna," she thought to herself, "This is the second time she has watched a close friend die right in front of her." With a sigh, she looked at the clock, then back to Linna, half wanting to say something, half afraid to.  
  
For her part, the looking ahead was the last thing on Linna's mind.... That had returned to previous lines of thought. She just kept going over this in her mind. "even worse than when Irene was killed..." And with that, she was back on the street that fateful night, looking down at the dead corpse of her friend Irene Chang... the assassin boomer who had done this, already gone by the time she got there. Of course she could do nothing then... she cant possibly be in too places at once. But now she had failed Reika too, and Irene a second time... she couldn't protect her sister... This final note finished her off as she curled up in the seat of the car... and began to cry.  
  
Nene looked to Linna, shaken to see her friend, who usually was so strong, curled up like that... but still not having a clue what to say, just drove on... till she finally got Linna home.  
  
* * *  
  
Priss got on her bike with a huff, more than pissed off at the interrogator she was dealing with. "Who does he think he is?" she asked herself under her breath. "I sure as HELL didn't do it, and I don't have a fucking clue who did!" She revved the bike. "Damn cops... they are all so fucking useless!" With a roar, she was on the road, blasting at top speed on her bike, as if to outrun her anger.  
  
However, it wasn't home that she went first. Her first stop was far more personal. Even after the whole place was leveled, the site of her old trailer was still a place she would go from time to time... when she needed to be by herself. She arrived there very soon, and stopped the engine of her bike and parked it. She then walked toward the now roped off pile of rubble that was the entire zone of the city. "Funny, they never did make this place into anything, did they?" Priss said to herself with a lot of sarcasm. A few years ago, this pile of rubble was several buildings where her few friends she had lived, and she herself lived right in the thick of it... her trailer where she had lived quite comfortably at the time was also destroyed in that move.  
  
With a sigh, Priss thought back on her past. Yes, those were much better times than tonight, but its further back than that, that is was on Priss' mind that night. Before the idea of Knight Sabers existed... before Sylia changed her life...  
  
Priss was out at the Hot Legs, as normally was the case for her, singing for the place. As usual, her style, lyrics, and general sound was well taken by the crowd, but it was still a small crowd... something that would always come back to remind her how much more she was capable of.  
  
"Save it," she told herself as she took a second between songs. "Your time will come. And when it does, you can take him away from all this." A smile came to her face as she thought about it... not something that she was well known for. She hasn't been the happiest of teens... not since her days in the orphanage. However, she seemed to notice the crowd saw it, and quickly turned it to a 'I'm good' smirk, looking out at them like she knew exactly what to expect... and she did. The roar from even this small band listening was formidable. "Ah yes... things certainly have gotten better, haven't they?" she finished to herself.  
  
"ALRIGHT! THANK YOU! But you may want to calm a moment..." she looked around the room... "Where is he?" she thought to herself, but continued to play to the crowd. "...because the next song isn't quite as rough as you would expect out of us. In fact, there is someone in the crowd now you can thank for that..." The drums started beating to a much slower beat as she continued. " enjoy this little twist change of pace..." and without another thought she began to sing.  
  
A bit after the song, the show ended... and Priss began to help the band pick up... but her 'companion' never made it to help as well. "That's odd... if he was here, he would be HERE by now," she thought... now a bit worried about it all. Still, she had to help here, and besides, she couldn't know where to even begin to look for him...  
  
At least till another member of her bike gang came bursting through the door. "PRISS! Oh where are you..." the girl dressed in blood red with bright green spiked hair saw Priss and ran head first to her. "PRISS!!! Oh there you are thank god!"  
  
"Calm down, Shaike... your freaking me out." Priss replied with a nervous smile. Her friend was a welcome sight, as the two had been through hell together.  
  
"Well I'm afraid what I have to say wont help much. Priss... its Tranx."  
  
Now Priss paid full attention. Tranx was the leader of their biker gang... and the one she was waiting for. "What's wrong?"  
  
Shaike took about 30 seconds to say anything, which only pushed Priss to panic herself... "He was shot... just now... on his..." she didn't get any farther before Priss had her by the lapels of her black leather jacket.  
  
"Don't even joke like that..." the glare in Priss' eyes says it all. There are few places you can really hit her and hurt her, but that was it.  
  
"I'm not joking..." a scared Shaike replied quietly. She had seen Priss get downright brutal for the wrong word at the wrong time before to others of the gang. But having also come from that orphanage, she NEVER thought Priss would do this to her... much less when she was dead serious.  
  
It was only that fear that made Priss realize she was serious... before she felt the wetness of the jacket on her hands... blood? "Oh my god... this just..." she thought, and silenced the thought a moment. "Where is he..." she managed to stammer... shaking in anger, pain, and generally just being upset.  
  
Shaike with a calmness unbecoming of her... but a strength she knew she had to show for her friend's sake, took Priss' hand. "Follow me."  
  
They were there in a few minutes... the scene leaving Priss completely numb with shock. Here was the man she adored, this Tranx, who was probably the strongest if not craziest man she ever knew, laying on the ground... well, the upper half of him, anyway... well not even that is really true. More like from the nose down through the ribcage. The rest was beyond recognition... turned into pulp as the blood oozed out...  
  
That was the last night she ever sang that song... the song he was meant to hear, but never got to the show to hear it.  
  
...Once again, a turning point on stage has brought death to her door, and blood on her hands in the most literal sense of it. Even as her mind went back on the night she has always tried to forget happened, and was never fully able to do it... that song came back to mind all the stronger with tonight's events. The pain it carried for her tonight being just as strong as so many years ago. Priss looked at the wreckage that Genom had left of her whole neighborhood during those days, cursing them, and herself, for letting someone else die on her night on stage once more, but no words came out. All that did, was that tune in her humming... and a tear that no one would see in the darkness of the midnight hour.  
  
* * *  
  
"WHAT?!?!?" Leon screamed at the chief of the AD Police chief as he slammed a fist down on the man's desk. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN NO ONE SAW HIM?!?!? HE WAS PRACTICALLY WAVING THE DAMN GUN IN FRONT OF THEM SCREAMING 'I DID IT! I DID IT' FOR HOW DAMN OBVIOUS HE WAS!"  
  
The chief however, was much calmer, only clearing his thought in the face of Leon's anger as he straightened his tie. "According to your report. However, you and Daley are the only two to have seen him at all. The young lady who played along with her said something about a man in a trenchcoat, but she didn't get a view of him we can use. So that leaves us with only your reports... and you both said his face couldn't really be seen."  
  
"And NO ONE ELSE SAW HIM AT ALL?!?!?" Leon fumed, too pissed off to notice he had basically said Priss had seen him until about 5 seconds later. "Wait a sec... Priss saw him?" he asked, as if to confirm this might prove him sane.  
  
"So you know her? Guess that takes care of that..."  
  
Leon wanted any excuse to punch the guy, and his beat red hue probably gave that away quite nicely. "Come on, Daley! Unlike SOME people here, we actually have someone to try to find."  
"Actually, we already have a suspect in mind." The chief said to this, still so calm it was maddening.  
  
"But you just said no one saw him," Daley prodded... kinda confused.  
  
"Yes I did."  
  
"Then who do you..." a sinking feeling stopped Daley dead in his tracks.  
  
"I think you know already." The quiet smile on the chief's face said enough.  
  
Leon just couldn't take this. Here they were, the only ones who even came close to seeing this man's face, and they were suddenly suspected of pulling the trigger? "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?!?" he blared, getting people outside the office to look.  
  
"To the best of anyone's knowledge, you and your partner were the only ones armed in the whole stadium. We considered the slim chance that your story was true despite being surrounded by a crowd and no one saw the man you claim to have tried to take in... uh, how did he get away again?" It was obvious the chief was enjoying this. Leon being how he is, naturally clashed with the man and his goals, so to get Leon like this was a great thrill to him.  
  
Leon only growled at him, at the moment powerless about any of this. He knew even as he made his report that was going to sound crazy, but he decided the truth had to be there. "Yeah... great day to go insane and report something like that to someone like this, Leon," he thought to himself.  
  
"Ah that's right. He vanished," the Chief snapped his fingers melodramatically, "just like that. Really Leon. You should have known that wouldn't fly. However, we couldn't ignore the testimony that the singer... Ms Asigiri gave us about a man who somewhat seemed to be the same guy as you saw... at least till now... she is your friend and could well be covering for you."  
  
The silence and pure anger on Leon's face was more than amusing to the chief. "Do you have something to say, Leon?" his smugness was too much for Leon, who was barely keeping himself from pounding the chief through the wall. The chief only continues now all the more pleased and completely oblivious (or uncaring) how close he was to dying at Leon's hand. "I didn't think you would." He stretched out and leaned back on his chair, "and on that note, you are being suspended, Leon. I wouldn't leave town if I were you." He grinned to himself as Leon got up, furious and doing his best to control it, "I hope it works out for the best."  
  
SLAM! Everyone looked up to see Daley a little ahead of Leon, who probably almost took the door off it's hinge. His face was beat red and the perfect counterpart to the sad, downlooking expression on Daley's face. "CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT PIECE OF CHICKEN SHIT?!?!?"   
Leon fumed more than loud enough for the entire department to hear him. Daley acted quickly, knowing that someone had to. "Why don't we get out of here and go chill off somewhere... this wont help us much," he said kinda quiet. He barely even looked up... concerned for his partner more than for himself. The guns wouldn't match, they were safe, but in this mood, Leon might do something to get himself in trouble in the meantime.  
  
Nene looked up quietly at the two of them, concerned, and still saddened by the previous night. What the hell happened? That was supposed to be the ultimate night for all of them. Priss would finally be recognized on a large scale, Leon would get to see this moment (something he did want, though no one would expect him to say it, due to Priss' reaction), and she and Linna would be there to share the moment. Instead, it became a blood bath and chaos. Nene sighed, "Why does something always have to occur?" she asked herself rather moodily. Her friend almost tapped her shoulder to ask what was wrong, but knew of the night's events... and that Nene was practically front row to it. Not having anything to really say, she decided to leave Nene alone.  
  
Leon, meanwhile sighed and took Daley's advice. For now, he best just get as far away from the chief as he can before he just punches his face in. Grabbing his jacket, he went to join Daley in the lobby. "What else have I to do anyway? Well now, anyway?" he thought to himself still pissed off, but at the same time, glad to get away from someone who was quickly becoming the biggest pain in his ass there could be... well almost.  
  
"Whoa there... where you going, bud?" Leon cringed. That voice was a rather new one to hear within the office, but one Leon already was learning to regret. He turned to face the newest recruit to the department... a K-Suit operator from the US. The man was streached out against his chair, almost knocking it over, his feet on his desk, black and off white due to dirt sneakers leaving scuff marks already, while his deep green jacket hung off the seat where it flapped off him and it. He looked up at Leon, an amused/curious look on his face. Yep, this is gonna be one of those people to avoid at all costs. "You cant leave without giving me some details... that just wouldn't be fair."  
  
"Leave me alone, Jake. Better for all of us that way," Leon returned with a slight glare. He didn't want to get suspended and get into a fist fight immediately afterward.  
  
Jake leaned up and looked at Leon... the expression was enough to get him to be quiet for now... something that Leon was very thankful for as he left the station, Daley in tow. Jake watched them leave. "What's his problem?" he thought to himself, "Maybe he is a little nuts after all."  
  
* * *  
  
Priss returned to the apartment late that morning, having chosen to try to face her pain on her own. Not something uncommon for her, but she didn't return in much better condition then she left the stadium in. She opened the door to see the apartment almost exactly as she had left it when she went out that night, maybe a little messier from Linna's rush to get to the show, but not too much. "Odd..." she thought to herself, "I would have thought Linna would have cleaned up last night..." But then she had to remind herself... Reika was a friend to her... far more so than most, as the death of Irene had driven them both. "Guess she also took this roughly..." Priss found herself saying quietly to herself, a bit of a shocker to her. Here she was supposed to be the one who didn't give a shit, and she was worried for Linna. She would have smirked at the irony if she didn't feel like nothing could be funny right now.  
  
Stepping in, she found Linna rather quickly, asleep on the couch, still dressed up for the night. Priss couldn't help but feel sorry for her, especially as she saw how much this hurt Linna... by the tear trails on her face. The thought did occur to her to wake her, as Linna was due to go to work today, but then again, Priss figured they would understand if she took a day to herself after last night.  
  
With a sigh, Priss picked up the phone and dialed up the office Linna was working at and let them know...  
  
"Hello, this is Currency Inc. How may we help you?" a voice on the other end answered. Priss was in no mood to depict the mood off hand yet.  
  
"Yes... I need to speak to the manager of a Miss Linna Yamazaki?" Priss was slightly bothered by how unsure she sounded in her own ears.  
  
"Uh... sure, hang on one second please." Then the hold music kicked in... something done several decades ago, but sounding kinda nice anyway...  
  
"Nice to see someone thinks about that these days," Priss thought to herself with weak smirk. It at least was a slight lightener to the day.  
  
After a few moments, a man's voice kicked in. "Hello, this is Mr. Newman. Who is this?" he sounded annoyed and intrigued at the same time.  
  
"This is Priss Asigiri... a friend of..."  
  
"The singer who was with Vision last night?" he sounded stunned, "Man.. I'm so sorry about what happened," he kinda stammered, as if he couldn't think of anything else to say.  
"Yeah... that's me..." Priss added, obviously it wasn't happiness in her voice. "But... I was calling about that for Linna...."  
  
"Oh... what's wrong?" his voice never lost that 'oh shit it's her' sound to it.  
  
"She... wont make it into work today... Vision was a good friend of hers, and she is really in no shape to go about work yet."  
  
"....I... I see.... Well I understand... thank you for calling... miss." His voice was now solemn... guess Linna did show him what she could do.  
  
"Well I couldn't leave her off and have her have no job come tomorrow..."  
  
"Again... I understand. Thank you so much... and have a good day, Miss Asigiri." *click*  
  
No one seemed angry, so that was a good sign. "Besides," she thought to herself, "it really is best to let her sleep... she needs the time... after that." Priss sighed... knowing she could probably use it too, but unlike Linna, she couldn't see herself take advantage of it. Not that Linna was doing much better, as a shutter in her breath, even now, showed to Priss just how hurt her friend really was.  
  
With a sigh, Priss went to the balcony and stretched a moment, then for lack of anything else to do, she pulled a chair in front of the TV and with the volume low, hit the power on the remote. "Might as well..." she told herself. She had no intentions of going anywhere that day and began to methodically flip through channels, not caring too much what was on any one, and not enough to stop...  
  
...at least not till she got to a news broadcast... she would have just turned the TV off when she saw the icon in the corner stating "Big Egg killing," but the words "one suspect" caught her attention...  
  
The newscaster went on... "one suspect has been called into question so far. The man, who goes by Leon McNichol, is an AD Police officer. In so far, the AD Police have made no comments involving this, but it is reported he has been put on sus...." With a loud thud to the ground, Priss kicked the TV over, startling the till then sleeping Linna awake with the sound of impact and the static as the TV went nuts.  
  
"They are blaming LEON for this? WHY THOSE MISURABLE..." by now, Priss was literally too pissed off to even say anything. If there is anyone she blamed for this, it was herself for not being fast enough to protect Reika. Now the ONLY AD Police officer (with the exception of Nene, of course) worth ANYTHING is the one they blamed?  
  
Linna, for her part, kept quiet as she watched Priss fuming. She had an idea why... her sleep wasn't deep enough to block the TV, but she had no idea what to say. For once, between her own pain and her friend's anger, she was completely helpless in such things...  
  
* * *  
  
Outside the Big Egg Stadium, investigators moved about still looking through the scene for whatever might have been missed. For the moment, no one was about to say anything about who did what. There simply wasn't much to go by. The bullets had been extracted from Vision's body, or rather, the pieces of them. They were designed to fragment shortly after impact, and that will make it that much harder for them to be traced. Not one of them knew that Leon had been suspended, or that an official statement had been made as of yet. However, one of them did know a little more than the others.  
  
After commenting on needing some rest, he stretched and went to his car. He opened the door, got in, and drove off, his trenchcoat now slightly damp with the moisture of the morning, making it look slightly darker than normal. He sighed as he put his shades on and put the car into reverse and pulled out. It wasn't long before he was heading down the road.  
Without a word or so much as a sound, he clicked on his car-phone and dialed a few numbers... after waiting a moment, he spoke. "Mission accomplished. Returning to the lab," and he hung up, his pistol sitting in the passenger seat beside him, exactly two rounds spent in the clip right next to it. 


	4. Fallout

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 4: Fallout  
  
Leon and Daley ducked behind the cement slab, just ducking below the gunfire spitting overhead. Daley seemed slightly relieved, but also a little excited. Leon on the other hand, was still angry as ever. "How do I get myself into these things?" he asked himself, but apparently just a little bit too loud, as Daley heard him.  
  
"Well, you did want to work off your temper, huh," he said teasingly, "Besides, we wouldn't want our top cop in the force to get fat and lazy, now would we?"  
  
For once, Leon smirked. It's good to have your best friend also be your partner. He will be the first to admit this, especially when he needed to get in a lighter mood like now. "Of course not. So, how do we take on the cannon behind us?" he peeped around the slab as he said this, looking at a sentry gun... though now silent, it was still trained on them.  
  
"I don't suppose you would want to have one of us run out and the other one shoot it up," Daley sarcastically added, already knowing the answer Leon immediately voiced.  
  
"No way, Daley. If either of us are gonna get through this, it will take us both. But that does give me an idea...." Leon grinned... the kind of grin that Daley could only think "here we go" on. Without saying a word, he took his machine gun and began ramming the butt of it into the edge of the concrete they were behind.  
  
"Leon? What are you doing?" Daley for once was completely baffled. He usually had Leon figured out almost as fast as Leon did, but for once he was stumped.  
  
"What does it look like? A little cement just might help us out of this." He continued to smash at the corner... cracks beginning to form.  
  
"You know they will want us to pay for that." Daley sounded half matter of fact and half cautioned.  
  
"I'm suspended... how else should I spend my day but causing damage to public property?" Leon retorted, a smirk on his face. After all, he could afford it, and if they were going to pay him to do literally nothing, he might as well take advantage. A shrug was all Daley had to say to that one, and Leon continued to smash at the cement until he had a piece broken off about the size of a fist. He then took his knee guard off and wrapped it around the chunk. "Ok, Daley... when I count to three, I'm going to toss this and we both blow that thing to hell. Got it?"  
  
"Alright..." a grin formed on Daley's face, "Let's do it partner."  
  
"Right.... One, two.. THREE!" Leon tossed the padded rock as hard as he could to the side, the cannon slamming round after round after round on it. However, the thing stopped firing VERY soon after, as Leon and Daley both popped up and unloaded their entire clips into it, covering it with bright yellow paint marks.  
  
"ALRIGHT!" Daley let out. He wasn't sure that would work, but he simply had no better ideas. However, this was far from over. He quickly took another clip of paintballs and threw it into his gun, Leon doing the same. Even in game time, they seem to think like they are fighting boomers on the streets. "Ready to move on?"  
  
Leon nods, "Cover me." And with that, he is on his way into the door-way of the old building ahead. The process is rather quick as the two of them rush into the main lobby, guns trained on opposite sides, but find nothing waiting.  
  
"That's odd," Daley commented, but he wasn't complaining. They had chosen to an infiltration level that would push both of them to the absolute top of their game. It was the best way Daley could think of to get Leon to work off his anger. "LEON! BEHIND YOU!" He fired a few rounds at one of the crew of the Survival Shot before the guy could finish his clean shot at the rather distracted Leon.  
  
Leon, for his part, as soon as Daley said it, ducked and looked back to see the paint splatter on the wall. "Thanks."  
  
Daley smirked back... this is the Leon he has known for so long and cared to see in high spirits once again. "Lets move... we have almost reached the goal of this little game."  
  
With a nod, Leon took the lead once more, now watching much more carefully... while trying to get to the building, he had learned not to worry terrifically about the others who would be put in here with them. They had all been so obvious until now. "Guess they just are used to inside fighting," he thought to himself.  
  
A few more people here and there, and they had reached it. The room with the 'X' that would mark the end of the game. Leon looked around a moment, and took off his vest. "Well that was fun," he said, having honestly enjoyed the day's activities, "but aren't they suppose to come in and award us point now?"  
  
Daley nods, also a little confused. That WAS supposed to be the end... so why didn't they get the signal to quit? "Leon... it might be best if you put that vest back on..." he didn't get any farther before a display dropped from the ceiling. "Yep... we aren't done yet." He cocked his uzi with a grin, Leon after getting his vest back on, following suite, eager for the next challenge.  
  
The screen put up its message, displaying stats on each of their performance, much like an arcade might for kids, but then it blanked and started a new one. "Final round: Dual"  
  
"What?" Leon looked confused... "you have got to be kidding me."  
  
Leon only smirked, "Well why not, hun? We haven't exactly seen much action in a while. Lets get to it!"  
  
For once, Leon only laughed. "Count of three...."  
  
Both, "One..."  
  
"Two..."  
  
"THREE!" And with that, the two jumped back from each other, a hail of paintballs going both ways, and two overgrown kids thoroughly enjoying themselves in what had to be the best finale to these kind of games either had seen in a long while.  
  
* * *  
  
In a nearby operator room, displays lit everything in a pale blue light, barely allowing the features of a young man with jet black hair to be seen as he studied the monitors. The one directly in front of him was an enlarged image of one of the smaller monitors making up the wall behind him. In this view, he watched as the two AD Police officers fought round for round against the various people waiting within the arena, changing camera from time to time to get a better view, occasionally moving to a few at once via split screen.  
  
"Incredible," he said to himself, "Not many in any force that would think to try that." It was a shock to him to have to admit that the two officers were perhaps smarter on the field than he was, but he wasn't about to say it just yet. He had a lot going for him still. Otherwise, he would have rushed these two already and failed miserably. With a smile, he turned to the side monitor displaying the performance stats of the officers. "Simply stunning."  
  
He continued to keep his vigil over the two officers, all the more shocked to watch Leon pull of his kneepad to take care of the sentry. "Quite clever... covering grounds for four out of five possible sensor types in one move... yes, this man will be a challenge to take on."  
  
The smile only deepened as time went on, for the final round was one he had personally engineered. Normally, reaching the room would be the end, but he wanted to see what his prey could do when pitted against his own partner... the only one who perhaps knew his moves as well as he did. "Well, that would normally be true... but now, I think these tapes will be a nice change of plans..." The fight continued in front of him, both combatants showing the utmost knowledge of each other and the utmost effort. Had he been doing this solely for his own entertainment, he would have considered this well worth it.  
  
But there was more than fun at stake here. Vengeance for the Chang clan had to be brought to realization, and these tapes were the best way to really know the enemy. The young man smiled savagely. "Go on, Mr. McNichol. Enjoy yourself... and tell me all I will need to know..."  
  
* * *  
  
Priss' bike roared with life as she gunned it down the road at well over the speed limit, a look of pure rage on her face. She just could not even now believe that the idiots who ran the AD Police would think that the one man who tried to do something about the shooting was the one they were looking for. "How the HELL can they even think they can justify this one? Is there something they are covering for like last time?" Her anger only multiplied on that thought. Last time, she lost a lot and no one ever would know the truth because someone gave the order for a cover up. Again, it seemed, history might well be repeating itself. Only now, it was more than her loss... Linna's condition had told her as much.  
  
A slight swerve on the road to go around a van caught her attention from the thoughts that were slowly driving her into insanity. A honk of horns, a finger, and a curse later, the van had done all it could do about her, she completely missed the scene, hell bent on where she had to go. What she would do there, she had no idea yet, but it didn't matter. The answer would come to her in time, and if not, she would think of something.  
  
It was about ten minutes before she slammed the breaks, hell's fire in her eyes as her bike swerved side-wards under her practiced control. She stood there for half a minute, just seething as she looked at the building ahead of her... AD Police: Megatokyo headquarters. She slammed the kickstand down and with a slow and steady tread, walked to the door.  
  
No one inside had any warning... one moment the place was silent, except for the usual activities of the "desk jockeys," the next... BOOM! The door hit the wall hard enough it sounded like it exploded. And standing in the now open frame, outlined by the late morning light, was pure fury in the form of a woman.  
  
Priss didn't waste any time. She took a moment to survey who was watching. Many of them simply stopped and stared. Between the fact that this was the second such interruption this morning, the young woman standing before them was the one who had sang along side Vision the night before, and the look of death on her face, not one who froze could begin to move.  
  
"Where is the chief?" Priss asked... her voice sounding as pissed as she looked. No one responded right away, as if afraid to draw the attention of this daemon in human form to them. She asked again, "I said... where is he? And I suggest you answer this time." Her voice was dangerously low.  
  
One attendant finally pointed to the door of the chief's office. No words spoken, but then, he couldn't even think to speak right now. Faced with the pure anger he was seeing, he simply lost the will to use his voice.  
  
Priss, for her part, didn't say a word, but moved with the same deliberate action to the door of the office. One of the others tried to intercede, "Um... he may be busy right..."  
  
Priss turned on him in a split second. "He isn't too busy to see me." Her expression was dangerous.  
  
"Yeah, well..."  
  
"You know what he would be up to that might make him that busy?" Priss stormed toward this one person and grabbed him by the shirt. "You would tell me what he was up to if he was so busy, wouldn't you?"  
  
The man yelped in surprise... and for the moment saw no other way to handle this... "of.. of course ma'am."  
  
"And you don't know what he is doing, do you?"  
  
He shook his head.  
  
'Then I'm just going to let myself in and have a little chat with him," her voice got dangerous again, "any objections?" He shook his head again as Priss dropped him. "Good boy."  
  
Priss' eyes moved to the side, someone was rushing her? UNBELIEVABLE! Here she had single handedly proven why most of the people in here are desk jockeys and not on the street, and one of the local geeks had the nerve to try and rush her? The anger built up as she formed a fist, "well, if that is what this one wants, she's gonna learn the hard way..." She turned around, and had to hold back from smashing her fist through Nene's face.  
  
"PRISS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" For her part, Nene was beyond shocked. She knew her friend and fellow knight saber had a temper, but to storm into the AD Police and demand to see the police chief by force? This was really asking for trouble.  
  
Priss was equally aghast. Here was her and Leon's friend, working in the same place, and probably having the best chance there was to get Leon out of... no... to get this cover up undone, and she just sat there? "I'm doing what you should have," she snarled. "You know as well as I do that Leon cant be the one who took out Vision, yet you did nothing to stop this?"  
  
Nene only blinked... that stung. Leon always was and still is like a brother to her. She only sighed. "I couldn't do anything, Priss..."  
  
"LIKE HELL YOU COULDN'T! YOU WERE RIGHT THERE! YOU KNEW LEON DID NOTHING!" Silence followed for a few moments. "This is pathetic, will you at least let me talk to him if you wont?" With that she walked to the chief's door... leaving Nene standing there...  
  
A tear on Nene's face betrayed the pain she tried to cover. "He wouldn't listen..." She made her way back to her desk, a very hollow feeling following her.  
  
* * *  
  
Jake Boots made his way casually to the bar he had decided would be his home grounds. He had been in Japan for maybe a few months, and had already tried every bar, pub, and liquor store Megatokyo had to offer, but found none did the job with more taste than this one. And that was a good thing to come across... after all, since the chief wouldn't let him take the K-suit to do pretty much any job right now, he felt he was wasting his time, and would rather drink such boredom away.  
  
With a sideward glance from behind the trenchcoat, he pushed the door opened and walked in. Inside, the place had remnants of both old and new styles. Yes, there was a pool table and every booth and table had an ash trey, but at the same time, it wasn't the place you found the biker kind. Most people here were either in business suits, casual street ware, or on occasion, one or two people would be here in a group, and obviously tourists...  
  
Which is exactly what they thought Jake was when he first made his way in here. He knew that kind of glance, hell he gave them often enough himself back in the US. But by now, he was at least expected, if not a regular to this place, barely getting a look from people as he walked in.  
  
Jake didn't even bother to open his eyes right away having cleared the door, choosing instead to breath deep the aroma of beer, wine, various exotic drinks (many of which he could name probably faster than the bartender), with just a hint of tobacco smoke and chalk. "Ah... yes... I'm home," he said to himself, letting his own personal moment sink into himself before he stepped in and opened them...  
  
And there was Leon and Daley? What kind of trick was this? The two of them were sitting at the bar, chugging a beer each and talking excitedly about something. What exactly, as much as Jake would have loved to have known, he couldn't tell from here. It was too overridden by the general talk of the room. "Guess I should see what's up... but maybe a beer or two first," Jake told himself and sauntered up to the bar, maybe two seats away from Leon.  
  
The bartender, a large overweight man with a black goatee and matching short cropped hair looked at Jake with a smirk. Here was one of his favorite customers, even as the management hated his guts. This man had only been coming regularly for few weeks, but had managed to carve the room in two. Half the people there looked forward to his entrances, knowing they would be in for some excitement once he got going. The other half, well they didn't have much taste for "his kind" of attitude. The bartender was part of the first group, "Hey, Jake... what'll it be?"  
  
Jake looked at him with a smirk on his face, various ideas of drinks dancing in his head. "Well, lets see..." he gave it a little thought. "Ah what the hell... give me whatever the hell Leon and his boy over there are having," he gestured toward Leon and Daily, who both stopped mid-drink as they heard the voice call their names.  
  
"Friends of yours?" the bartender asked curiously. "Don't seem like your type."  
  
"We aren't," Leon interrupted, rather annoyed that what was becoming a descent day to his surprise should be wrecked once more by the presence of Jake Boots.  
  
"Awww... that's not very nice, Leon," Jake replied grinning, "I mean, we work in the same office. We should at least try to be."  
  
"I work you mean. You just sit there like your board to tears."  
  
Jake didn't catch the venom in his words. "Which reminds me, what brings you out right now? Wouldn't you normally be in the office at this point? I just got off duty, and I was shocked not to have a hint of you in the area."  
  
Leon glared... the anger he was working so hard to get rid of coming back in a split second. "What business do you have in my affairs!" His voice was low, but threatening.  
  
Jake chugged at his beer a moment before going further. God did he love having fun at Leon's expense. "OOOH! An affair!!!"  
  
Leon shut up completely for a moment, going beet red. The two of them had gained attention from most of the room, and that REALLY wasn't the kind of thing that he wanted said about him... even in a place like this. It also didn't help that Daily was grinning at Jake's comment. His friend had always been fast to enjoy laughs at his expense.  
  
"Gotcha, didn't I? So, Leon," his hands went to hold his head up as Jake put his elbows on the bar, imitating how a school girl might ask this, "who's the girl?"  
  
Leon was barely holding himself back from punching this guy out. "I... I'm not..." he just shook in pure anger and indignity.  
  
Jake nodded like he knew all about the situation. "mmmhmmm... sounds about right."  
  
Leon finally exploded and slammed his hand on the bar, "Listen Mr. Boots, I'm NOT having an affair, but what is going on is NOT your business. Your business SHOULD be keeping in check should you be needed in your K-Suit! Not that you aren't. Boomer incidents haven't exactly been quiet. There is always something going on."  
  
Jake frowned, something not often seen on him. "You know, Leon, I am more than ready for some action..."  
  
He didn't finish as Leon stared right through him, "Then why are you never out there?"  
  
"If our chief ever let me, I WOULD be!" Jake's hand slammed against the bar, getting everyone's attention. It was really rare for someone to manage to get to him that far, even when they tried.  
  
Leon, however, wasn't finished. "Yeah right... prove it too me and I will cover your tab around here."  
  
Jake looked about ready to kill him, until the words fully registered. "You'll what? ALRIGHT! Your ON!" Jake's smirk unnerved Leon just a little as he watched Jake buy about 3 rounds on the spot for the patrons drinking the day away.  
  
* * *  
  
Priss made her way out of the AD Police headquarters, disgusted with everyone and everything there. "Damn that bastard," was about all she had to say to herself or anyone else when it came to the chief. She had managed to keep herself miraculously from killing the guy, but not by much. His attitude reminded her so much of that slimeball Mason that had been the whole reason she had to leave her trailer... and other she lived with... behind. That additional thought only fueled her anger all the more. And now he had pinned last night's events on Leon! She knew damn well he couldn't have done it, and the worst part was, the chief probably knew it too. But once again, a cover up would cost them all justice, if not just a bit more to her...  
  
Again, she quickly brushed that idea aside. She wasn't about to let herself go that way. However, she couldn't let this all go yet. Since he was the only other one to see anything, she would have to go find Leon anyway. "Alright, if I were, Leon, where would I go..." She considered this a moment, then shook her head. "That wont work... there really isn't anything we can do... man do I wish Sylia was home. Maybe she would be able to..." with a sigh, Priss had to admit, she was defeated for now. Though only for now; She wouldn't turn in the towel, not now and not ever. The last sound she made before returning home that night, the roar of her bike as she gunned it home, to make sure Linna was alright. 


	5. Enclosure

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 5: Enclosure  
  
Leon returned to his apartment and collapsed on his couch late in the afternoon, a welcome calm to the insanity that seemed to follow him all day. He had to admit it wasn't all bad, I mean sure he was suspended from duty, something that still pissed him off deep down, but he had a good time anyway. Hell, even Jake's presence didn't really ruin things... it was too fun to watch him drink one person under the table after another.  
  
Though that definitely returned his attention to a potential problem he might have. 3 rounds for the whole bar is not an inexpensive thing. And the 2 or 3 other dozen drinks Jake finished himself in his drinking competitions add an impressive value to that tab. "Ah, but he cant possibly prove he wants to get out there with that thing... what do I have to worry about?" Leon smirked, "besides, it was kinda funny to watch the drunk across the table from him try to slur out insults."  
  
With a stretch and a yawn, Leon looked to the TV. He wasn't sure he would want to see what was on, but then again, he just spent a lot of time out. This should be a chance to relax. "Well, maybe if there is a movie on, I will check it out..." he hit the remote button. Sadly, he found no such relief. Instead, it felt like every news report out there just could not wait to harp on the once recognized as the best officer on the force of the AD Police, now suspected murderer of Vision. With a sigh, he turned off the TV, finally figuring out exactly what part of this gets him the most. Not that he was put on suspension, which was very aggravating in the first place, but rather the fact that most probably DID believe he was a killer now. Without much else to do about it, Leon went to the kitchen, grabbed a shot glass, and some scotch.  
  
He didn't drink often or really all that heavy, but tonight, he would need something to take some of the edge off.  
  
* * *  
  
Outside the building, maybe 30 feet from the edge of it, 3 cars of random design sat in the parking lot. Not really suspicious... there were a lot of cars in the parking lot, and all of them looked pretty much like they belonged, no one make or model standing out, besides maybe the occasional decaled car, including a yellow Beetle with black lighting running down the sides. However, these three blended right in with the (mostly) random conformity.  
  
Inside, however, was another story. Inside the two smaller cars, sat 3 members of the Hou Bang, the Chang family crime syndicate. The beige SUV carried in it's hollowed out back equipment for observation, 3 more soldiers, and one more member, though he carried an air about him of much higher status in this organization. His calm green eyes glanced casually at one of the small screens fixed in place on the tailgate door of the vehicle. Being an LCD, it didn't cast much light on his features, but the man was used to seeing in the dark. He was more concerned with the view inside the building this screen let him have... from each and every camera they had inside for security reasons.  
  
That idea got a smirk and a small chuckle from him. "To think, they feel safer with all this stuff around them, and it just makes my job that much easier," he thought to himself. A glance to the screen to the right of this one, revealed a zoomed in view of Leon's apartment window. Currently, the lights were on, but there was no activity visible. This could have been either good or bad, but the third camera screen finished the picture quite well with an infrared camera aimed in the same direction, the two combined giving a good idea of what was going on inside Leon's place.  
  
"This should be very easy. Mr. McNichol didn't let his partner come with him, leaving him alone and unprotected up there," the man now said just loud enough to be heard, the calm in his voice matching the calm in his eyes perfectly. With a glance to his watch he continued, "but we should wait just a little longer. 5:30... rush hour isn't over yet, and the halls wont be quiet for a while still."  
  
The others in the SUV didn't answer vocally as much as nod in agreement. They all knew the job well, and they knew the man crouched at the screens was one of the best the Hou Bang had. He was not the only choice Dr. Chang had to do this job, however, as there was at least one other person who was willing and perhaps even more qualified to take it on. Why Dr. Chang made his choice, no one else could know, besides perhaps, the man himself, Dr. Chang, or the other choice Kou, but none of them was would speak about it.  
  
The man smiled, knowing that the soldiers wouldn't dare argue with him. He was well known within the syndicate for his skills. But no one, perhaps not even Dr. Chang himself, knew anything else about him, which is how he liked it. He was truly alone, making him truly untouchable. "That had been Kou's mistake," he thought to himself, rather amused that a man of his caliber would make the ultimate mistake of having feelings for the one he was trying to protect.  
The smile disappeared rather quickly, however, as he looked back at the security screen, to see a man in a trenchcoat walking causally down the hall. He seemed in no hurry, but something about him made the man's skin crawl. "Moria!" he called to one of the soldiers. She quickly came to his side.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Clax?" she asked, duty and a little confusion in her tone.  
  
"Have you ever seen that man before?" Clax asked, pointing to the man on the screen as he continued his little walk, his finger's touch rippling the screen just a little.  
  
"No sir... should I have?"  
  
"I'm not sure yet." The two of them watched a little while before the man calmly and deliberately entered Leon's apartment. "Dammit! Ok, Moria, I want you to radio the nest. Get me all you can on this man." His voice was tense. From what he had gathered, Leon wasn't the kind to shy away from a friend, but the ones close enough to just walk into his apartment were VERY few, in fact, the only one Clax had heard of was Daley.  
  
Moria turned behind them and was already making the call before she replied. "Yes, Sir!"  
  
* * *  
  
Nene watched from her desk as Jake marched past her, not so much as a glance in her direction. It was no secret to her that he would strike up a conversation with her if he could. If her friends in the office hadn't told her, she still would have figured it out, as she has caught him more than once looking at her with the indecisive look on his face. But tonight, his march of determination matched an expression that would offer no diversions. "This can't be good," she told herself, watching him be-line it straight to the chief's office. Normally, she would be curious, but she just couldn't take any more yelling. Priss' little outburst finished her off for the day.  
  
Jake, for his part, seemed rather calm. He knew this would not be an easy sale, but he was gonna be damned if Leon's bet was left unmatched. He would bring his K-suite out, and show Leon his true passion. "Besides," he thought to himself while waiting for the chief to let him in, "he should really enjoy some of the adjustments I made to this puppy." He grinned for a moment, remembering the work in the garage; Every step of the way perhaps the most careful he has ever been.  
  
The grin disappeared as Jake tried his best to appear serious as he heard what he was waiting for. The chief was barely audible, "come in."  
  
* * *  
  
It was a nice sunset as Priss finally returned home. She couldn't bring herself to get back till now, partly because she was not in the mood to sit still, and partly from her own guilt at failing Leon and Vision so recently. This mood still hovered over her, to the point she didn't even consider the scenery... not even to say it was pathetic to think much of it. However, another need brought her home: the need to check on Linna. She killed the motor of her bike and flipped the kickstand down, only removing her helmet a moment later. With a sigh, she gazed into space a moment, trying to think of what to say in case Linna needed to be consoled still, but the words would not come to her mind.  
  
"Just give it up, Priss... you KNOW your no good at those things," she rebuked at herself, slowly but as confidently as she could striding to the doorway. "Besides, just being there is a lot better than nothing," she added, trying to make herself a little less guilt ridden. For the rest of the rip, through the hall and the elevator, she did her best to keep her mind from wandering.  
  
At the door, Priss knocked gently, afraid to wake Linna if she was asleep. "Hello? Linna? You up?" Again the tone was a bit quieter than normal, but there was no response. With a shrug, Priss got out her own keys and unlocked the door.  
  
Glancing inside, Priss relaxed just a little before pushing the door open completely. The lights were on, and there was a plate and glass on the table. Apearantly, Linna was up and decided to get a bite to eat. She didn't do the dishes, but having lost a good friend, who could blame her? "I know I can't," Priss thought to herself. First time someone close died, she didn't do half as well as Linna was now.  
  
Shaking that thought, Priss moved into the living room, seeing Linna staring at the TV, which she had placed back on it's stand and, suprisingly, still worked. Getting a little closer, Priss heard the voice of a reporter talking about the stock market.  
  
Linna finally noticed someone was there and turned her blank stare to Priss... her expression warmed up almost immediately, glad for company. "Hello, Priss... what kept you out all day?"  
  
"Uh... hi..." Priss was stunned, but glad to see that. Linna wasn't the only one that could use the company tonight. "How you holding up?"  
  
Linna smiles slightly, "A little better. Thanks for calling work today."  
  
"WHAT? How did you..."  
  
Linna smiles a bit more. It was hard to tell if it was the expression on Priss' face, or genuinely being thankful. "Kinda had to miss the sympathy cards from the office." She gestured toward the small pile of cards, a tear streaking down her face.  
  
"I see... well, I thought it best if you take the day to rest... Hell I would have said to take the week, but I didn't think you would be the kind to stay away from the office that long." Priss' hand was behind her head, but then her voice showed a bit more concern again, "but it is good to see you up again. I was afraid I was gonna have to force feed you when I got home."  
  
Linna laughed, the visual being VERY clear in her head, but all the more needing to laugh. "Yeah... that wouldn't be very pleasant, would it?" After a moment, it was her turn to come back to earth. "By the way, Priss... where were you all day?"  
  
"Well, erm... you see..." Priss tried to consider how to go on, not sure how much Linna knew already, but the news soon cleared it up...  
  
On the screen, the reporter had returned, "and a touch of unusual news, one of the two singers at the Big Egg Stadium, Priss Asigiri, was caught on film today, at the AD Police headquarters. Her reason for being there, to argue in defense of the only suspect in the..."  
  
Priss changed the channel, half annoyed with the news for putting her 'outing' in the lime light, and half embarrassed that the news should tell Linna what she had done... or possibly even Leon.  
  
Linna, however, looked at her quizzically. "Priss? Why would a stop by the AD Police get attention like that?"  
  
Priss didn't reply right away, which explained enough to Linna. She knew very well how bad her friend's temper could be, and all the more so when someone she cared about (whether she would admit it or not) was getting nailed to the wall. With a sigh, Linna nodded. "Alright, Priss... I understand. How did it go?"  
  
"The new chief is everything Leon said he was... and absolute, ass kissing, moron." Priss' tone said enough. It didn't go well at all.  
  
Even as she knew Priss was upset, Linna couldn't help but laugh a little. Priss, for her part, decided to ignore it. She could press Linna to find out what was so funny, but she either wouldn't get a direct answer or wouldn't want it. On that note she calmly strode to the phone. "Well in anycase, I have to make a call. I can't let the moron win, now can I?" Priss smirked as she said it, somehow a little more at ease that she can at least do something.  
  
Linna nodded. "Alright, Priss." Rather than listen in, which at any other day, she may have found amusing, Linna went back to the TV, though now switching on some cartoon. Something light.  
  
Priss smiled quietly, glad to see this. Everyone on the team has been through there times of depression, but it was never easy to watch a friend drop to those levels. Snatching the phone mechanically, Priss made her call. As the dial tone told her the other end was ringing, she considered how she was going to do this. "Will she even pick up after how I treated her?" she had to question. It wasn't like Nene couldn't handle being rebuked, but there really was very little she could have done, whether either of them liked it or not. Her connections to Leon also would undo her arguments on behalf if him as much as it has Priss...  
  
The thoughts quickly left leaving a blankness as the phone was picked up on the other end and Nene's voice answered. "AD Police, Nene Romanova speaking." Her voice was not nearly as perky as it normally was.  
  
"Hi, Nene," Priss began, knowing her name would not be needed.  
  
"Priss..." Nene's voice trailed off.  
  
"Nene..." Priss waited a moment that was uncomfortable for both of them, "...sorry to bother you again, but, I need your help."  
  
Dead silence on the phone. Priss had to wonder what was going on in her younger teammate's mind. Finally Nene spoke again, "alright, Priss," her tone was quiet still, as if in shock, "what do you need me to do?"  
  
"I need you to look in the files for anything to help clear Leon's name," Priss replied rather quickly, "Anything you can find will help."  
  
"Alright... I... I will get right on it."  
  
"Thank you... Oh, and Nene? I'm sorry I yelled at you. This has been a lot for me to take." The last part of that took A LOT of effort on Priss' part to say. She almost never apologized to anyone.  
  
"It's ok, Priss... you were right. I... I didn't even try..." Nene's voice fluctuated a little, and it was a good thirty seconds before she came back, "I froze when he needed defense."  
  
Priss was stunned. "Nene... listen to me now... you may not have been able to help then, but you can now. Help me figure this out. You shouldn't feel guilty... you know you would have been thrown out just like I was, and I don't doubt you knew it then. But now is the chance to do something about it. Please help me." Priss really didn't like her own tone at the end. She sounded like it was personal to get Leon out of this.  
  
However, it seemed to have the right effect on Nene. The girl was good at what she did, very good, but sometimes, she needed to know she had her friends and teammates behind her. "Alright, Priss... lets do this..." her tone got more resolute as she spoke. "I can begin tonight after my shift."  
  
"Excellent! See you later!"  
  
"Bye!"  
  
And with a click, the phone was down. Priss grinned, imagining the determined look on Nene's face. Satisfied, she went to join Linna. After all, it had been a long time since she had sat down to watch much on television. And she was curious what could be keeping Linna grinning from ear to ear with a snicker here and there.  
  
* * *  
  
Boots snuck around the back of the AD Police tower, a determined look on his face. Each step was cautious, as if he didn't want to make a sound, but anything but silence came from his mouth. He was constantly muttering about how the chief needed to get his ass kicked, or he should put 5 does of industrial strength ex-lax in his coffee, or give him some other rather inventive, but brutal penalty. As these ideas effortlessly crossed his mind and mouth, the conversation he just had with the chief remained perfectly fresh in his mind...  
  
After knocking at the door for about a minute, the chief must have finally gotten tired of hearing it, as Jake heard the sound he was waiting for... the voice of the chief. "Come on in," he said in an impatient tone.  
  
"What could have made him so sour?" Jake thought to himself as he walked inside. The chief was calm, though he seemed tired as he looked down into the papers before him. Before the chief could tell him to, Jake sat down. Before he could be told not to, he also had his feet up on the desk.  
  
The chief didn't seem to notice. "Mr. Boots, it's been a long, long day, so if you have any kind of scheme planned, please do me a favor and spare me of it."  
  
Jake looked stunned. "What? Me? Scheme? Why would you think that?"  
  
The chief only now looked up at him, the kind of look that asks 'excuse me, but, do you want to die.' Calmly he spoke once more, "Please remember, I'm talking to you after all."  
  
Jake sighed, "Well if you feel that way about it, but that's beside the point. I have a question for you. Why the hell when things get serious, do you hold me back in here and not let me in the action?"  
  
"You know the reason Jake. The fact is we really don't need the support of K-Suits all that much. You're here because the top brass of the AD Police feel each office needs to be fully equipped... just in case," he paused a moment, "and you know as the main headquarters, we need to put up a prime example."  
  
"Well, you could at least let a front be shown. I mean, I'm sure the people would feel MUCH safer if they saw a K-Suit in use once in a while. Just to show we are out there."  
  
"Is it really that, or do you just want to impress some girl because you drive the thing?" The chief didn't need to say anymore. He simply wasn't buying into this.  
  
Jake growled. He wasn't expecting this to be a smooth sale, but he also was hoping the chief would be a little more professional than that. "Listen, Sir," the word sir in so much sarcasm it was ridiculous, "You might want to take serious consideration on letting me take my K-Suit out there tomorrow... otherwise..."  
  
The chief waited a moment, before answering in what was quickly becoming an infuriating calm. "otherwise?"  
  
"Ever here of disgruntled employees, buddy?"  
  
"Are you threatening me? As I said, I have had a long day, but not nearly long enough to cave to that kind of thing. That may have gotten you where you want to go across the ocean, but it doesn't work with me."  
  
"How about I show you a disgruntled employee right now."  
  
"And get kicked off the force, never to see your precious K-Suit again? I don't think you would do that," the chief was smug, watching the anger rise in the other officer he least appreciated... perhaps even as much as Leon.  
  
Jake jumped to his feet, fist balled back, ready to strike, and it took all the will he had in him to let the fist drop. The chief was right, he would kill this creep, if only it wouldn't cost him the K-Suit.  
  
The chief's smug grin only grew, "There's a good boy. And if I can help you out with anything else, please do me a favor and let it wait till tomorrow... I really cant deal with more of these antics tonight."  
  
Jake marched out the door, slamming it behind him...  
  
"Yeah, but he didn't count on everything, did he?" Jake said to himself hauntilly. Just like in his previous office, the maintenance people were always interested in a game of cards or dice or what have you during off-time, and to have an officer who wouldn't be so full of themselves as to join in was always more then welcome. "And having friends who can get you in always helps." Jake smirked... when he first went out back after hours, the technician people just looked on, not sure what to make of him as he went on with one of his new friends to go over various systems in the suits. Within a month, he was welcomed as he would tweak this or that system in his suit to his own needs.  
  
Now, that same access would let him win his bet with Leon, no matter what. Getting to the gate, he unlocked it quickly and stepped inside. It didn't take long for him to find his own suit. Most of them were in blue and white... and nothing else. Jake's, on the other hand, was pitch black with lightning down each arm and flames along the shins. He had thought about getting deamonic eye decals for the sides just below his display plate, but just had not gotten to it yet.  
  
Jake quickly approached his suit and climbed inside it. "So much for the chief getting in the way, now lets show Leon just how serious we really are!" he was as much talking to the suit as to himself, then he turned on the suit. Within moments, he was off, making running leaps with his thrusters to get to Leon's.  
  
* * *  
  
Try as she might, Priss could not get herself to stick to cartoons easily. She had to admit, sometimes that damn dog-like thing was amusing as it tried to catch the blue bird, but over all, it was pretty mindless, and didn't take her mind off other things. Linna, wasn't too engrossed either, but her mind really had nothing more important to handle, so she found it a bit easier to laugh at the antics of the two. Priss glanced at her, envious of that.  
  
With a sigh, she got up once more. "I wonder how he is doing?" Priss finally let herself think without rebuking it. The idea of being suspended on murder charges must have been hard for Leon to swallow, and as much as she hated to admit it, it bothered her too because of it.  
  
Linna watches as she walked on, "What's wrong, Priss?" she asked quietly.  
  
Priss was silent a moment. It wasn't so much the silence of someone who was upset as someone who didn't expect to be noticed. "Nothing's wrong... I just need to make one more call... that's all."  
  
Linna smiled slightly, understanding instantly. "Alright." She wanted to add not to worry too much about it, but decided against it. It was probably better if she didn't try to make Priss face how she felt right now...  
  
Priss didn't really acknowledge Linna's response, but there was no need to. Instead, she picked up the phone and dialed the numbers... in a moment, she heard the phone ringing. 


	6. Confrontation

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 6: Confrontation  
  
Leon looked up from his desk when the phone rang. He wasn't expecting any calls, and his expression showed his surprise. Stunned, he didn't respond immediately. However, the person on the other end must have been patient or persistent as hell, so after about five rings, he picked it up.  
  
"Hello, Leon here," he said kinda groggily. He knew he sounded tired, but wouldn't argue. He felt it throughout him.  
  
"Hey Leon. It's me, Priss," she was quiet a moment before continuing. "I just wanted to make sure you were ok..." her voice was hurried... as if she was trying to justify the call.  
  
Leon smiled to himself, somehow comforted by that. "I'm alright... how about you?" He smirked as he went on, unable to help himself, "Seems you made quite the scene at headquarters."  
  
Priss went silent for a moment. "You saw, huh?"  
  
"Yep! I only wish I could have been there to see what you did to the chief!"  
  
A slight laugh on Priss' side. "I'll try to remember that." A moment of silence on the line followed.  
  
Leon finally broke it with a serious tone. "Priss? Thank you for checking on me. Seems you and Daley are the only ones to care." His voice was still a little quiet though. He was forcing himself to say this.  
  
Priss, for her part, remained silent, but Leon would wait. He was glad to see she was on his side in this. In anything, really. But his attention was drawn away for a moment, as the sound of his door opening drew it. "Priss, could you give me a moment?" Without waiting for an answer, he put the phone gently on his desk. "Daley? Is that you?"  
  
There was no answer. Now concerned, Leon stepped into the kitchen. "Daley?" Still nothing. The door was still shut and nothing had been moved. No one was in here at all. With a shrug and a sigh, knowing he was probably gonna get hell from Priss for this, he strolled back into his living quarters and picked up the phone again.  
  
"Leon? You back? Why the HELL did you leave like that?" Priss seemed more like she was trying to be angry then actually angry this time.  
  
"Sorry, Priss. I could have sworn someone came in. I thought Daley had decided to try to cheer me with a visit."  
  
"Wasn't him, huh?"  
  
"Wasn't anyone. Maybe I'm just going nuts."  
  
Priss didn't answer right away, as if choosing how she would. Finally it seemed sarcasm won over. "Was there any doubt?"  
  
Leon smirked despite himself...  
  
* * *  
  
If the SUV had room, Clax would be pacing by now. No one should have gone in that apartment, much less someone he had never heard of. That alone was maddening, and it showed in his piercing green eyes. "Any word on who that man is?"  
  
"No, Sir" Moria responded quickly, still on the search, as well as listening for anything the base of operations might come up with. She had heard that tone in Clax's voice before, and knew the full meaning behind it. She didn't even need to see the anger in his eyes. "This man doesn't seem to even officially exist."  
  
Clax looked at her for a moment, completely struck by that. "What did you just say?"  
  
Moria turned and looked at Clax, him, her dark blue eyes watching him for any signs of her next order. "No one has any records on him. No employment place, no criminal record, no driver's license, no birth certificate... nothing."  
  
Clax went silent. This was beyond all reasoning. If he didn't have better control of himself, he would have punched the side of the vehicle by now. A man should not... no COULD not simply disappear like that. Not here, in one of the most technologically drowned out places in this age of information. Computers ran everything, and there was no way to keep them from getting something on you. They were not just a factor of control, but in some places, they were control. But now before the security cameras, Clax watched a man who had managed the impossible.  
  
"Alright, then the question is how he did it. It isn't like a man could without a lot of outside help. Obviously someone from on high is involved here if it is what it seems," Clax thought, "but, who could Mr. McNichol have gotten wrapped up in that would have that kind of power? There is just no way, is there?" Clax shook his head, immediately rejecting the idea. The detective in question had done a great injustice to the Chang family, but that's what he was here for. The man in McNichol's room, as far as Clax was concerned, was not working for them. "Besides," he added to himself, "it's not our practice to erase the existence of our members."  
  
"Sir?" Moria's voice snapped him from his thoughts.  
  
"What is it, Moria?" Clax was annoyed. The puzzle was driving him insane, and to be interrupted did not help any.  
  
"The guy in there seems to be setting up for the shot."  
  
"WHAT?!? Alright, we can't afford to wait anymore. We move NOW! Get the order out, Moria!"  
  
"YES, SIR!" Moria was already on the task before she spoke.  
  
Clax glared at the screen. The nature of the man's origins were still out of reach, but his mission was now clear. "You are not going to get away with this, my friend," Clax said under his breath, "Mr. McNichol belongs to the Hou Bang. Reika's death must be avenged!" He turned Moria once more, speaking in full volume and authority, "Tell them there are two targets now. For interfering, this man will die too."  
  
With a nod, Moria relayed the message to the already marching troops. Clax smiled to himself before picking up his own pistol and headset. He was out the door as soon as the headset was on. He wanted no mask. It wouldn't be honorable to not look them in the eye before the two men were executed.  
  
* * *  
  
Away from the window, the man stood like a statue, watching and listening as Mr. McNichol spoke on the phone. He didn't even consider the possibility of getting caught. It was simply impossible that his target would see him. He had made sure of that. He would make the kill easily enough. Just as easy, in fact, as the last time. But now his orders were a little more refined.  
  
Already, his gun was aimed and steady in his hand. If he chose to, he could make the kill now, but it would not be as clean as he wanted. His orders were to leave no traces, and shooting now would mean having to hunt the trace in the form of the girl Mr. McNichol was speaking to on the phone. Not that it would be hard to do. He already analyzed the voice to be the young lady who performed with Ms Chang the night he killed her. With that information, he also had her name: Ms. Priss Asigiri. If he wanted it, he could have her life as well within the day.  
  
He listened closely as the two talked, always searching for information that may be useful in the future, but oblivious to the awkward moments, or the laughter. They didn't matter to him. He didn't even feel curious about something so alien to him. He felt nothing, and so it meant nothing.  
  
* * *  
  
Leon continued to talk to Priss, actually enjoying his time. It wasn't often (in fact this was the second time) she called him. And besides, it was great to talk to someone else who wasn't afraid to say just what they thought of the new chief. Well, that's what he told himself, anyway. Truth went a little deeper than that, but he knew Priss would not accept that side of the equation, so he let it go.  
  
"It's a pity that wasn't Daley earlier," Leon added with a smirk. "He would have loved to have heard this."  
  
"He doesn't seem a blemish to your chief, though... he didn't mention him."  
  
"He keeps to himself and the few he trusts about those..." Leon would have continued, but a loud bang from the kitchen startled him out of it. "WHAT THE..."  
  
He didn't finish before he was under gun point. About three men and one woman surrounded him quickly with the kind of precision only trained soldiers should ever be able to reach. They were all in black, nothing besides eyes uncovered. If Leon had not been pre-occupied with the fact that he was staring down four gun muzzles, he might have noticed more about them.  
  
He was barely aware of Priss' concerned calls for him to talk to her, but he could not yet. With no other real choices available, he belted as loud as he could, "What the HELL is this all about?"  
  
The people holding him captive said nothing, but a fairly arrogant and contempt filled voice did answer. "Mr. McNichol... I would think you know already. The moment you pulled the trigger on the lady you knew as Vision, you sealed your fate..." The four foot soldiers stepped aside for their commander to be visible, arms crossed and an expression to match his tone of voice. "Any last words before you die?"  
  
"...And so you too think I killed her," Leon's tone was sullen, then slowly building in anger, "Then I really don't have anything to say to you. Why should I talk to a vigilante who has no idea what the fuck he was talking about?!?"  
  
The man smiled, his jet black hair framing the rather sinister look about him. "I didn't expect you do go without saying something of the sort. Your reputation precedes you."  
  
"Not another move buddy," came from behind the man. He turned to smirk at his trooper.  
  
"You keep him there till I'm done with the detective. Then it will be his turn." He looked into empty space as he said this, leaving Leon with the obvious question: Who the hell was he talking about?  
  
"Yes, sir.... Ok, pal, you heard him. You're going to stay there till.... Shit! CLAX DUCK!"  
  
The leader ducked rather quickly. He had learned a long time ago the best people are the ones loyal to you, and he had encircled himself so. It gave Leon a view of the scene, which was beyond comprehension.  
  
There were another three troops standing in the same fashion as they were around him, but around nothing. The fourth troop was moving to push something, then a loud two bangs were heard in rapid succession.. as two bullet holes found themselves in the wall. Leon blinked and shook his head, but his eyes only remained closed for a split second before he heard bone shatter and screams of absolute agony.  
  
Looking up once more, he saw the killer from last night in the empty spot. In one hand he had a pistol, aimed on Clax. The other one whipped the guard who had been pushing nothing by his leg, which was now bent in three places and moved more like a rope than an arm... in the release, the man was smashed into the wall, cracking it and landing in a pile.  
  
"What the hell? OPEN FIRE!" Clax yelled, just before the thundering of pistols screamed into the night, all trained on the man who had just made such short work of their ally.  
  
Before Clax had even finished giving his command, the man was already reacting; Getting two shots off with his own pistol as he dropped into a roll, leaving one of the remaining three who had encased him was now sprawled on the ground, his head and heart each having one hole in them. The man was not getting a free shot, however, as he now had seven other guns trained on him. Round after round pelted him as he continued to make himself as hard a target as possible. Two more shots, and another man was dead in the same manner as the first.  
  
Clax growled in anger, drawing his own gun. He really wanted Leon to be the one to take that first bullet, but this man had eliminated that chance. "Time to teach him why you don't screw with us," he thought grimly to himself as he aimed and squeezed off a shot. He clipped the man's left arm, leaving a small hole and making him drop his gun. Not nearly as good as he would normally do, but it was enough for now.  
  
By now, no one would have eased up for it either for fear of what this guy is doing or for revenge against their fallen comrades. But then, this was a man who didn't need such a chance. In another role, he was at the wall, and a quick kick off had him back at his gun, which he picked up in one fluid motion, and took several more shots, taking a another three down in the gunfight.  
  
Leon now had time to move, and ducked behind his desk, the sound of it falling lost amid the clap of the gunfight happening. He came back up with his own choice weapon, his custom Magnum Revolver... he took aim and fired.  
  
Now the man had to fall. Unlike what the intruding ones were using, his ammo explodes on impact, and the man was thrown through the window he was now in front of. Leon, still warmed from the blast thanked every deity he had ever heard of the chief had not taken this gun from him. He then turned it on Clax, knowing he wouldn't have another chance to try for an upper hand in this situation. "Enough bullshit. This is now over."  
  
Clax froze in place, his anger showed plainly in his deep green eyes. He had come to avenge Ms Chang, and because some moron had an unheard of pain tolerance, he had now been caught. The other three remaining looked at each other. The fact that Clax had not responded yet was enough to say what was going through his mind. At least till a slim smile crossed his face. He had not failed. Not yet, anyway. "You know, Mr. McNichol, your still suspended from being a real cop."  
  
"And your point?"  
  
Clax turned around, a sinister smile on his face and calm in him once more that only hinted at how evil his mind could be. "You can't arrest me. And if you kill me, my friends will have blown you to pieces before you could even dream of a chance." Clax watched with a sinister smile as his soldiers all aimed on Leon. With a dreadful calm, his own gun followed their example, creating a stalemate with at least two lives on the line.  
  
* * *  
  
"Leon? Leon? LEON! GET BACK ON THE PHONE DAMMIT!" Priss had been trying to get Leon on the phone again since she heard the first gunshots on the line. She knew there was no way she would get there in time if she hung up, so this seemed the best move she had. Finally, she had to admit, he wasn't going to get back. In just plain hopelessness, she slammed the phone down, making Linna jump.  
  
Linna had been listening to Priss scream on the phone for a little while, and recognized the tone and it wasn't anger with Leon as just plain pure worry. "Priss? Is... is everything alright?"  
  
Priss looked at Linna. It took a full 30 seconds before she could reply at all. It didn't occur to her that Linna couldn't hear the gunshots that still echoed in her memory. "I have to go, Linna... Do me a favor and call the police to Leon's... now." She didn't offer an explanation, or even stop to see Linna's nod before she was out the door and on her bike.  
  
Linna only blinked a moment at the rush before she made the call.  
  
* * *  
  
He landed on the pavement back first. His pause wasn't because he was in pain. He couldn't feel such things. But he did feel something, surprise. He had not foreseen the nine individuals who would try to kill his target as well. He might even have backed off, but for two things: His orders were not that the target be killed, but that he himself make the kill, and they turned on him as well. He had to protect his own existence in order to complete the mission.  
  
In his normal fluid motions, he sat up and checked out his arm. The man who seemed to lead that group had nailed him well, leaving him leaking mechanical fluids from the wound. However, nothing serious was hit. None of the others did more than graze him, so he could go back. But the mission would be a failure now anyway. His ammo was out, and he would not be able to clean up all the loose ends. Instead, he made his way in a usual uncaring manner to the bushes on the other side of the parking lot. He would watch what happened to his target, and react accordingly. This would not be over until one of them was dead, no matter how long it took.  
  
* * *  
  
Jake half hovered, half ran into the parking lot. Had anyone been watching the lot, they might have laughed. A K-Suite isn't usually capable of running just because they didn't have the precision. Jake, however, truly was a natural with these things, and could make it do things other pilots could only dream of. However, this was not where his mind was tonight. As he turned into the lot, his mind was on the bet he had made with Leon earlier that day. He would prove he was ready, and there was no way to say otherwise.  
  
These thoughts fell to the side however, as he glanced to the man walking into the bushes... and the broken window above where he got up. "What the hell?" Jake said to himself. Nothing else was on the ground, and a man didn't normally throw things when lying on his back. There was only one option, he had fallen out of the window. "But then how the hell did he get after? Wait a sec... oh SHIT! My BET!" Jake rushed to building and flared his jets, lifting to Leon's apartment on the third floor.  
  
* * *  
  
The draw remained steady as ever. Neither side would give up. Leon refused to let Clax have the chance to kill him, especially for something he simply did not do, and Clax refused to lose the chance to avenge Ms. Chang. So both remained. The other three probably would have shot by now, but it was Clax way to make the kill shot in these kinds of missions, and they had all been around him long enough to know odds are, that bullet would be spent. If not on Leon, then perhaps on the one that took that away from him.  
  
It was a start to everyone in the room as they heard jet engines fire up very close. Leon let his gun drop slightly, as the same confusion occurred over him as everyone else. Clax's aim was thrown off as he snapped his head around to see what the hell was making all that racket.  
  
As the top of the K-suite made its way into view, it only brought up more confusion. Clax had never seen this model K-suite before at all, but then, that was because he was usually done before any police, much less the AD were even aware of the situation. He might still have recognized what it was, except for the storm-themed paint job.  
  
Leon, on the other hand, figured out what it was as soon as half the torso was in sight. What he couldn't figure out was why the hell it wasn't standard setup, or for that matter, why it was here.  
  
The suite grabbed the top of the window with one hand, aiming a cannon into the room as it perched it's feet against the wall. It was then that the voice was heard. "Hello, Leon. Seems you got yourself into a little mess here, didn't you?"   
  
"...Jake? What the HELL do you think your doing?"  
  
"Proving you wrong, and winning our bet."  
  
Clax shuttered... he spoke low and deliberately, "I'm not about to lose because of a bet..." In one fluid motion, he turned and aimed on Leon once more, firing quickly, simply not caring what happened to him anymore so long as Leon didn't live any longer.  
  
Leon was already moving. He knew well enough to never let someone who wanted you dead out of sight, and ducked under his desk, but not fast enough. With a gasp, he dropped his magnum and grabbed at his chest just below the rib-cage, his hands and shirt in the area already red before he hit the ground with a thud.  
  
Jake moved quickly as well, firing his cannon at Clax. The target was lucky, however, as Jake's aim was off. He would have easily been happy to have left nothing left of Clax' torso, but for firing on the fly like that, he didn't do too badly. He watched as Clax went down, his remaining hand grabbing the remaining chunk of his shoulder blade, the gun that WAS in that hand now across the room from the blast. "You best hope Leon survives, bastard," Jake said under his breath, "He still owes me for our bet." Without their leader still on his feet, the remaining two foot soldiers gave up, knowing they had no real odds going head to head with a K-Suit.  
  
* * *  
  
Clax didn't offer much resistance as he was lifted from the ground forcefully. He couldn't tell how long it had been since he was ripped apart by the cannon blast, but it didn't matter. He had failed, and that was the worst fate he could have had. Now, nothing mattered to him. With a small stagger, he let himself be walked down the stairs and outside, his escorts being very mechanical about the process.  
  
With a roar he heard the engines of the K-suit that had shot him blaze itself back down to the ground, followed by its mechanical stepping. With some effort of will, Clax looked up to see the suit stroll to what must have been his commanding officer. "Must be making his report," Clax thought gloomily to himself. The details didn't matter to him, but glance to the side snapped him back into the here and now.  
  
"What the hell?" he said to himself, but it must have been audible.  
  
"What are you babbling about?" one of his escorts said, "You not satisfied with your work, asshole?"  
  
Clax shook his head. He had seen that unknown man getting tossed out of the window, so where the hell is he? He should have been on the pavement below the window. However, he wasn't about to tell these two. Why should he help the force whom employs his target?  
  
"Gone silent, huh?" The guard jammed him in the ribs below his now armless shoulder, sending a new surge of pain through his body. "You will learn a little respect yet." Clax grimaced but remained silent. The guard only smirked at this. "The bastard has guts... he's gonna be fun."  
  
Clax rolled his eyes slightly. He knew this type of soldier. He had dealt before with them, and he knew deep down, he could probably take both of them on right now despite having one arm if he wanted to. The problem with that idea, however, was the two other squads of AD police in the area. It might be a bit harder to handle them, as they were armed and probably would expect him to strike.  
  
A glance to the side showed the K-Suit that had been so savage in taking revenge on a fallen trooper. The pilot was nearby, talking to the commanding officer still. Normally, such conversations would hold no appeal to Clax, but this conversation took an interesting turn.  
  
"You say a man fell out of that window?" the officer talking to the pilot pointed to the broken glass above.  
  
"Yes, sir," came the reply, the tone of which somewhere between official and aggravated; probably because he had to repeat this three times already.  
  
"And then a moment later, he got up and ran away?"  
  
"Yes, sir"  
  
"Your sure about this, Jake? You know considering the broken glass and no blood, that's a pretty far fetched story."  
  
"I'm very sure, sir." It looked like Jake wanted to say more, but thought better of it.  
  
With a sigh, the man waved him away. "Very well, prepare a full report... oh and Jake? The chief isn't happy you stole the K-suit. I would be ready to pay hell if I were you."  
  
Jake left muttering something about things being new.  
  
Clax couldn't see any more of what was going on, but this was interesting in and of itself. Here was this man who no one knew anything about, had no records anywhere, and after being launched out of a window by explosives, not only didn't bleed, but also got up and ran... no human could have done that...  
  
The full implications of that idea hit Clax like a ton of bricks... a twisted smile came to his face as he was packed into the prison seat of the awaiting cruiser. Reika would be avenged yet. He would make sure of it. 


	7. Leads

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 7: Leads  
  
He watched from his hiding place as the scene unfolded in front of him. He had figured the end results of the night's activities would probably end like this as soon as he saw the K-suit jet itself against the odds to his target's apartment, but still, he had to be sure. It would be vital to completing his tasks if he saw what became of everyone involved.  
  
It was with nothing more than cold calculation that he watched the ambulance role up to the complex, followed by a team from the ADP. They were bound to arrive after the K-suite, and, since he knew this, he had simply gotten out of there. It had also been just as expected which would be escorted out in cuffs. The target was also ADP, leaving him only one possibility there. What was unexpected was the condition the man was in. He had seen the K-suite fire into the room, but generally, ADP don't do that much damage to humans. To see the blast had taken his arm off was never expected. Obviously, this pilot was not the average one, and would have to be observed to figure out.  
  
He didn't think abut these things, he just knew them. It was innate. He didn't need to think on them. However, whatever attention might have been on reviewing the results went directly to his target as he was wheeled out on a stretcher. A quick scan via inferred showed the target was still alive, however wounded he was. The mission was still incomplete, and would have to be completed one way or another. However, there was a complication now.  
  
Of the nine intruders, who had interfered, three still lived, not including the now one armed ring-leader. These humans were now four loose ends he would have to tie up. As things stood, the three who were not seriously wounded were already gone. Probably to be incarcerated on attempted murder. He would find out soon enough, but first there was the ring-leader and the target himself. The target would no doubt be brought to a hospital and under top security. The ring-leader would probably also wind up in a place to get medical treatment, but the guards would most likely bring him elsewhere, where they could keep him in easier.  
  
From here, he drew his conclusion. He knew the area and the most likely places to find each and every person he would still have to destroy, except the ring leader. And even he could be a source of names for his troopers, giving this path of action that much more emphasis. He waited for his chance to approach the armored vehicle.  
  
Total time to make his decision: 0.05 seconds.  
  
* * *  
  
With a screeching skid, Priss' bike fishtailed into a stop. The kickstand was down and she was running toward the ambulance and ADP squad cars before the motor had stopped. Had it not been for habit, she wouldn't have even hit the kickstand. She simply did not care right now.  
  
She stopped running when she was about ten feet from the closest car and finally allowed herself to look around. The scene was covered with flashing blue and red lights, adding a surreal effect to the whole scene, and leaving her for perhaps the first time in her life, with no real choice of actions, and only panic within herself.  
  
An officer approached her with a calm professionalism that she normally found annoying as hell, but tonight just wasn't in a position to judge. "Can I help you, Ma'am?" When the young lady didn't respond or even look at him after a moment, he repeated the question. "Ma'am? Are you ok? Can I help you?"  
  
She still didn't look at him, staring into the scene. "Leon... where is he?" Her tone was flat; almost scary.  
  
"Leon, Ma'am?"  
  
Only now did she look at him, her panic taking form into anger as her eyes burned with her natural rage towards the ADP. "He IS one of you, after all... where is Leon McNichol?"  
  
The officer stopped short... the pure rage in her eyes was astounding, and he felt like she might jump him any second, with or without a reason. This stop, however only fueled her. She grabbed him by the cuffs of his jacket and rammed him against the cruiser, shaking it in the process and proving his assessment of her right. "WHERE IS HE?!?!?"  
  
Priss didn't need to wait for an answer. From the corner of her eye, she watched as a stretcher was brought out of the apartment complex by two medics. The face of the man on it was hidden by an oxygen mask, but she already knew. She through the officer down and made a run for them. Her run came to a dead stop when she was finally close enough to confirm her inner fears. The medics didn't even halt, but she could see it was bad without anyone telling her so... without moving, she asked the medic to the back of the stretcher a few questions. "What... happened to him." If she could hear herself, she would be stunned at just how much fear was in her voice at this moment.  
  
The medic looked up at her and only shook his head. "Are you a relation to him?"  
  
Priss shook her head and looked up... her voice had calmed down, but this was too much and it was obvious to anyone listening she could break any moment. "Please..."  
  
"He took a gunshot to the chest. The man responsible has already been taken into custody, along with the team he brought with him."  
  
Priss said nothing after that... she just walked with the stretcher. Also without a word, she jumped into the back of the ambulance with it.  
  
"What the... Ma'am... you cant go with him. This is going to be very delicate, and we cant have anyone else get in the way."  
  
A look of anger and defiance met the medic. "You can't stop me." Her tone softened a little as she looked at the form on the stretcher. She would never admit such things, but none the less. The medic noticed, however, so the argument ended there. He also knew better then to question this time. He wasn't blind to who was riding with Leon, or her temper when really pushed. This was definitely one of those times.   
  
* * *  
  
The ride to the prison was a long and dull one. Clax had no windows through which to even enjoy the scenery. Not that the city allowed for much landscape anyway. It would have been just one building after another, but it wasn't like he would have been trying to enjoy himself. It was actually smart to not put in a view for him... otherwise, he might try to get away and have an idea where the hell he was going. He smiled slightly, mentally congratulating the designers of the vehicle.  
  
Still, the trip was over and he was coming out of the medical room. His arm was a lost cause. However, they had patched him up and, thanks to a few dozen drugs, was in relative comfort, and his mind was able to consider his next move. He already understood his part would be over soon, no matter how it ended up. He had been careless, and now would pay for it. But he also still had a mission, and would see to it that it was complete.  
  
Currently, Clax was seated on an iron bench. He wasn't chained down in any way, but he was encased in a steel cage, along with a few others. None of them seemed interested in him, which was a good thing. It gave him time to consider what he now had to do. Not that he didn't already know. He knew full well what he had to do. What he needed time for was to get used to it. Since he could not finish the task ahead himself, he would have to call on another... and the only other qualified for this task was not a man that Clax wanted to EVER have to call on. He didn't know how the other felt, but Clax saw him as his bitter rival, and would personally rather swallow broken glass than call on him for help.  
  
However, duty calls, and that has to come before all personal issues. He looked up slowly as his name was called... "Clax! Frenton Clax! Get your ass over here!" Without a word, he got up and made his way to the door. On the other side, the officer looked at him with contempt. "Time for your one call."  
  
* * *  
  
Boots didn't have to wait too long before he found the trouble he was in. In fact, the chief himself was waiting in the parking lot for the K-suits when he got in. Not that Jake cared to terrifically. He was always in trouble before he was here, so why should it make a difference coming from a different face? With a grumble, he slammed the off switch and opened the hatch to step out.  
  
He didn't even get his feet on the ground before the chief was on him. "What the HELL did you think you were doing? You were under STRICT orders to NOT get in that thing! Why the hell did you disobey me?"  
  
Jake calmly placed his hands up palms toward the chief. "Don't think that's a good idea, to start like that, chief. Your ORDERS would have cost you an officer's life."  
  
"What the HELL are you babbling about?" The chief was only now yelling and not just adding force to his voice.  
  
"You can watch it in the news," Jake added arrogantly as he began to walk away. "Oh, and by the way," he turned with a smirk, "your welcome."  
  
The chief turned three shades of red in anger as Jake continued on his way. For Jake's part, he had the biggest grin on his face he has had since he moved to Japan.  
  
* * *  
  
Just like most of the office besides a skeleton crew of desk workers, the main computer room of the AD Police was emptying out. There were never many in there anyway, but all the odds of finding someone there was now practically zero. That was all the better in the eyes of the young lady who now reached across a keyboard, running search after search through every file she could get into, starting with low-level security files, and ready to break through to the higher ones as she needed.  
  
The determined look on Nene's face was illuminated mainly by the monitor in front of her. In her mind, Priss had had every right to yell at her, but now she could make it right. Maybe between what was here in the AD Police files and what she could find on the networks connected to it, she just might be able to clear Leon's name.  
  
So far, she had come up with nothing. At first she had just looked for familiar names in the system. Row after row of closed case showed on the screen, and she filtered out what looked like good names. However, this quickly proved futile and she decided to put some kind of order to the task. However, her curiosity drove her to look into the file of a Dr. Miriam Yoshida before proceeding. Looking on the face on the screen brought the memories to the front again. His hyper-boomers had nearly cost her and the other Knight Sabers their lives and their reputations. Though this was mentioned (however briefly) in the file, it was something else that grabbed her and nearly made her fall out of her chair. "What the hell?" She blinked in disbelief at what she saw on the screen. After shaking her head, she printed a copy of the file. The others will want to know about this, but for now, she had to worry about Leon.  
  
Her search was focused on what she knew about the killing, and perhaps if it was an MO to a serial killer out there. "If I can find something like that, there is no way the chief could ignore the possibility," Nene muttered under her breath. Having found nothing with this try on every network she could think of, she began to include criminals where the case has been closed and solved. Again, the same result; no MOs to match either the style of execution, or the pattern of where the bullets had been placed.  
  
"Why do I feel like I'm going in circles?" Nene added with a sigh. "Ok, lets think about this. So there are no known killers as of yet that strike like this. Perhaps a new one then? But why would Vision be the target?" Suddenly, her eyes brightened. "Wait a sec... what if it was a personal enemy of Vision's?"  
  
Without a second thought, she brought the Big Egg II's security systems up. What she found shocked her. The first layer of security was expected, and she quickly dispatched it. She then proceeded to look through records and camera scenes. Apparently, because enough people pointed at Leon, no one had checked the cameras at all! It didn't take Nene long to find what she was looking for... a picture of the real killer, gun still smoking in his hand. The only problem was that it was from the back, basically giving a view of his trenchcoat and pistol. Color would have helped too, but at least now Nene had something.  
  
Quickly, she scanned the camera systems for any more shots of the man she had found, but none gave a good view of his face. He simply didn't look more than straight ahead, giving every shot that had any promise at all an angle that didn't reveal his eyes. Aggravated by this fact, she copied the pictures to the ADP network and printed them. She would show them to the others, but first, one more scan... this time using the pictures to get an identity.  
  
In the final scan, she found a list of well over 200 people... way too many to begin searching one by one. She groaned at the prospect of going through them all for motive to see who it could most likely be. Instead, she printed the list for future reference, as well as sent a copy of it and the pictures to the chief. Leon's name had to be cleared now. There was just no way he could keep Leon from active duty after seeing this.  
  
Quite happy with herself, Nene took her paper copies, put them in a folder and turned off the computer terminal. She skipped out of the room, and down the hall, and only stopped for the cold air at the main doorway. She still had a "pleased with myself" smile on her face as she got in her car and drove off, heading straight for Linna and Priss' apartment.  
  
* * *  
  
The roar of the engine from the bike was now much more even than it was when he first started it up. He knew how to drive it, but not the specifics of this peticular bike yet, and had spent the first few minutes of his pursuit playing with exactly what it could do. It may be useful to know, or it may not. But he knew it wouldn't hurt. He wasn't having too much difficulty tracking his target, despite his late start.  
  
Had he had the normal level of patients, he would have been going insane. In order to make sure he wasn't detected, he had to wait and see exactly where every individual in the parking lot was. As things stood, between cops, reporters who the cops could not keep away, and medical people, that was a lot of people to zero in on, one by one. Still, being as he is, the man took his time and began. However, he systematically began with the reporters. They would be the ones most likely to be around the longest, so they were the ones he would have to deal with.  
  
The cops were next, not so much because they would hang around as the medics would be off as soon as they could be. This left them as the next step. They became the only step as soon as the ambulance's sirens blared and it sped off.  
  
Upon completion of this step, he had to find a way to move at a speed to make his chase even possible. The young lady known as Priss Asigiri had unwittingly supplied him with that when she left with his original target. She had left her bike.  
  
Without a word and in fluid motion, he got up from the bushes and walked to the bike. He didn't even hesitate to kick out the kick stand and walked it away. He had made sure no one could see him, but the sound of the engine on the other hand, could clue them in. He couldn't afford to start it yet.  
  
A good 15 minutes later, he had walked it roughly out of earshot and started it up. The hum of this bike was loud for the model, probably customized. Had he the ability to enjoy such things, he would have smiled, but this was beyond him. He revved it once more and took off, pushing the engine at top speed in the direction the armored vehicle had gone.  
  
As he looked ahead on the road, he swerved through traffic with relative ease. It had taken a little adjustment to how the humans on the road drove, but it didn't take too long, and the heat-trail of the tires to the target was getting stronger. He would be there soon.  
  
* * *  
  
As the bus pulled into it's next stop, Kou looked up from his seat, his glasses slightly lit by the fluorescent glow above him. Without a word, he got up and walked down the isle. A few people gave him a glance, but not many. A young woman would have thought of trying to get his attention, but could see the no-nonsense look about him and thought better of it. This man was here for a purpose, and one that anything that wanted to live best keep out of the way of.  
  
As he stepped off the bus, Kou felt the chilled night air against him as his jacket moved slightly in the breeze. It was a bit lighter than would be useful in this weather, but he didn't care. Just an hour or so ago, he had gotten the call that changed everything for him. Until then, he was a man in mourning, both for the Chang family, and on his own. But he was also useless in his own eyes, having been turned down to handle opperation for revenge. Now, however, fate had smiled on him, as the man for the job was now out of the picture, and he had all he needed to begin to hunt the killer down. With a grim smile, he made his way down the street.  
  
For the most part, the streets seemed empty, but Kou was far from oblivious to the fact that the night around here had a life all it's own, or that those who took it up were watching him, if not from the shadows and the alleys. However, the trip remained uneventful. He glanced down at the piece of paper in his hand, reading the number on it by moonlight. It was odd. Had he expected to have to call a favor from the man he was now going to see, he would have committed it to memory. However, at the time, it was simply a formality.   
  
"And now the piper has to be paid," he added to himself, a bitterness in his voice. He had already paid the ultimate price, and would extract it from the killer by any means necessary. He stepped up to the door and produced a key from his pocket. With a few twists, the door was open and he walked inside.  
  
The building was an old one, and showed it's age. That isn't to say it was in bad shape, but the style was from another decade, and no matter how well the landlord took care of the place, they were going to have to repaint sometime. Once up the stairway, Kou had to grin. Apparently, the landlord was ahead of him, as he could smell the ammonia of a fresh coat of pain, as well as see the equipment at the far end of the wall.  
  
However amusing though, Kou had business to attend to, and moved along, looking at the number of each door. After a short while, he found the one he was looking for and knocked.  
  
After a moment, a serious but calm voice answered, "Who is it?"  
  
"An old friend," Kou replied. He never gave the resident inside his name, so it would be pointless now. However, the man would recognize his voice. Boomers can always keep that kind of information on hand. He wasn't disappointed. The door opened after a moment.  
  
"What brings you here?" the voice continued as the man closed the door, his long white hair catching the light from the hallway. He sounded surprised, but also had a tinge of dread in his voice. He knew this day would come, but he was hoping for a few years before he would have to pay for his get-a-way.  
  
"Were you at work two nights ago?" Kou's voice was calm and controlled.  
  
"Yes... it's a terrible thing, what happened to that young girl."  
  
"That is why I'm here now."  
  
"I'm not sure I understand."  
  
Kou sighed, taking the moment to figure out how to tell this man what was going on. He looked at him. "Astis, could you please turn the lights on? I know you don't need them, but I'm human."  
  
"Alright..." the light flickered on and Astis was visible completely for the first time. He was a large and well muscled man, but not overly so. His white hair looked pre-mature, since he couldn't be any older than in his 30's. However, Kou knew that was all a fiscade. Behind those dark piecing eyes was an organically grown CPU, perhaps the most advanced one to date, and definitely years beyond anything the private sector has dreamed of yet.  
  
"Much better..." Kou continued, "Now, as I was saying, we are out to find the man responsible for killing Vision that night."  
  
"Alright, I understand that, but what exactly do you want me to do?"  
  
"The killer, we believe was a boomer. We want you to contribute to the search. If you find anything, you will report directly to me. Understand?" Kou handed Astis a card with a number on it.  
  
Astis nodded in response before putting the card in his pocket.  
  
"Very good... thank you, Astis... from me and the entire Hou Bang organization," Kou finished before turning to the door. He opened the door and stepped out before stopping suddenly. "Oh, and one more thing... Don't touch him yet when you find him. I want to be there to extract vengeance personally." On that last note, Kou's voice took a very savage twist and it made Astis jump to hear it.  
  
Still, he replied the best way he knew. "You know I would rather not get into a fight anyway... but alright."  
  
"Thank you... personally." And with that Kou was gone, leaving Astis to figure out what he would do. Already had a lead, but he had to find where she lived... the young lady who had played along side Vision had seen the killer. He would have to seek Priss Asigiri. 


	8. Mission Accomplished

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 8: Mission Accomplished  
  
It was a long drive to get where she was going. The traffic was lighter than normal, as the time was approaching the AM once again, but the distance and her own pure excitement to show Priss she had just cleared Leon's name were only making the trip that much more maddeningly long to Nene. She just could not wait to tell Priss the good news, but something else was on her mind as well.  
  
Still, her mind could not really keep on either topic too long, making for a very strange conversation with herself, constantly switching topics.  
  
"Oh, I hope they are still up," she half-whined to herself, "they will want to hear about all of this... but if they are sleeping, maybe it would have been best to wait till morning." She sighed, "but this can't wait that long... maybe I should have called. Oh well, too late now." She pushed the gas again as the lights turned green and pushed her car to go as fast as it could to the apartment complex that remained a good 10 kilometers ahead. "Why does this have to take so long?" she asked herself.  
  
* * *  
  
The bike's brakes were in far better condition than the man riding could have expected. He found out as he slammed them on, reaching his destination, and nearly flying off the handle bars. However, it took very little time to compensate with his own body, and regain control of his equilibrium and the bike. He didn't bother to put the kickstand down, rather he just got off and let it drop. It had done it's job. It had no purpose any longer.  
  
With decisive steps, he approached the front gate, slow and deliberately. The guard in front would make this incredibly simple for him, and he knew exactly how to make it as he wanted it. The guard looked up at him, alarmed, but only for a split second.  
  
"Chief? Why are you here so late?"  
  
"I wanted to question the man assaulting Mr. McNichol tonight in person."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"There are things that I need to be sure are asked, and with everyone gone for the night, I came myself."  
  
The guard looked at him oddly. "Usually, you could get someone at any time of night."  
  
"This needs a personal touch."  
  
The guard shrugged. Something was odd here, but what could he do where the boss was the one talking? "Alright, I get the point." He offered no further resistance as he got out the keys and unlocked the doors. "This way, sir. I will take you to him."  
  
The man smiled slightly, "Thank you." He followed the guard into the hallway, taking note of everything he saw. A few cameras here and there, as well as the occasional guard, but nothing he couldn't handle. The two guards suspicious enough to stop them were quickly handled, as a look in the eye showed them their chief standing before them. Then it was only a matter of salutes and a dismissal before the two of them were on the way again.  
  
After a moment, the guard stopped at an almost solid steel door. "Here you are, sir... how long should this take?"  
  
"I really don't know. It all depends on how co-operative the criminal is. Which reminds me, do we have a name on him yet?"  
  
"Yes, sir... his name is Frenton Clax. He allegedly works with the Hou-Bang, though we have yet to get a confirmation from him or those he had working with him." He sighed, "these guys are tough bastards to crack."  
  
"Let me try my hand. Perhaps you may be surprised."  
  
The guard shrugs again, and slides the keycard, immediately drawing his gun and pointing it in the direction of the opening door.  
  
"That wont be necessary. You can return to your post."  
  
"What?" the guard blinked in disbelief. "This man is too dangerous to let you go alone, sir."  
  
"I'm telling you to get back to your position."  
  
"Sir, I can't let you do that." The guard blinked, still not sure he was hearing this right.  
  
The man said nothing more, with a few quick movements, he had the guard by the throught and dragged him into the cell, slamming his armed hand into the wall. The first slam made him drop the gun and scream in agony. After taking a second with his free hand to rip the door off its opening/closing mechanism, effectively jamming it shut, he smashed the hand again, this time, taking it clean off the wrist.  
  
The guard screamed out in agony as for the first time, he saw the man and not just the illusion. It was too late, however, and the scream had about two seconds time before his neck was systematically twisted off his shoulders.  
  
The man dropped him as if he were nothing at all and looked to the other occupant. Clax, for his part, was not hit with the illusion and recognized the man who just entered. In the short time the guard had struggled, he hat retrieved the gun and rolled back to the other side of the cell. He already knew he would not get out alive, but he would be damned if he didn't fight to the end.  
  
"So, you came back for revenge? Funny, I thought boomers couldn't feel emotion," Clax mused out loud, keeping his voice as steady as ever, despite the adrenaline and fear mixing inside him. He had never considered he would die like this, but he would face it head on, like everything else.  
  
"I do not understand revenge. Only my orders," the man stepped forward, slow and deliberate. It was the perfect way for a killing machine that had the checkmate to move.  
  
Still, something bothered Clax. "Why wasn't he shooting?" he thought to himself, "He had proved just how deadly his accuracy was back in the apartment, so why not fire now?" The answer hit him like a thunderbolt. He had no ammo left... perhaps there was a chance to survive after all. The pace of his would-be killer gave him time to consider his surroundings: There was a window, though it barred and he himself would not get through it. The other guy would certainly have the strength, but the odds of getting him to break through were very slim.  
  
The other possible exit was the door. He now had a gun, so his odds of getting past the human looking boomer ahead of him were increased. However, there was a risk... he didn't know how much ammo he had to fire. "Ah, why am I worried about that?" Clax argued in his mind, "If I do nothing, I'm a dead man. If I get out of here, I might be able to fight back another time." With this in his mind, Clax made his move. With a shout as loud as he could make it, Clax barreled toward the boomer, pulling two or three rounds on the way, each shot aimed to take an arm or shoulder and spin it away from him.  
  
The first two shots connected flawlessly, spinning the killer about halfway, but the killer was quick to react, turning with the spin put on him and reaching out with his other arm, grabbing Clax by the shoulder and crushing it in his grip. Clax screamed in pain as he pulled the gun to the ribcage of the boomer and pulled the trigger one more time.  
  
*click* The gun jammed, and Clax looked up, knowing he would not live beyond this moment.  
  
* * *  
  
No sooner was the engine off than Nene was out the door of her car and sprinting in the apartment complex ahead of her. Even after her long drive, she was still extremely energized by her findings, and just could not wait to tell Linna and Priss that she had done it and Leon would be off the hook. It was in one fluid motion that she jumped out of the car and slammed the door shut. It was barely any time before she was in the apartment building, and the most impatient elevator ride in her life to get to Linna's place.  
  
She knocked at the door very rapidly and waited. No answer greeted her. "Well that's weird," she commented to herself, "but I'm not being stopped here." And with that, she opened the door on her own, which she also only realized was unlocked as she stepped through.  
  
She didn't have much time to think about it though, as in the other room, the first thing that struck her was that Linna was sitting alone in front of the TV, its light bathing her in an eerie bluish color. Her expression was one of total shock, and obliviousness to Nene's presence.  
  
"Hello?" Nene inquired cautiously, not sure what to expect as a response, but genuinely scared by the fact that there was no response at all. The fear was only amplified by what she began to realize wasn't there. "Linna... where did... Priss go?"  
  
Linna seemed to jump slightly before she looked at Nene. Still no words, but her expression screamed something was terribly wrong, and the single tear stain along her right cheek only doubled this. Nene approached slowly, like she wasn't sure she wanted to know what was wrong, but couldn't bare to not know. She found the full reason when was able to see the news. Nene's eyes went wide with surprise and dread as she looked upon a crime scene, which also happened to be the apartment complex Leon lived in.  
  
"...the scene of what could have been the end of Officer McNichol's life. Just a short while ago, the would-be murder was stopped by a K-suite operator whom we have been unable to reach for comment. However, this story is not over yet, as Mr. McNichol, who had recently been the main suspect in the killing of Ms. Vision, is now in critical condition and for his own safety, at an undisclosed hospital..."  
  
Nene turned the TV off and looked at Linna, who only stared back with a helpless look on her face. She sat down in front of her friend and did her best to bring up a braver front than she felt within. "Linna... it will be ok... You know Leon can take this and come back..." she smiled a little, as the thought also gave her a little courage as well. "besides, we both know the one who he will fight to come back to is there with him now."  
  
Linna didn't respond right away, but nodded after a second or two. "I hope she is alright... she left terrified of something..." her tone was low and concerned, like it was the only thing she had.  
  
"My condolences"  
  
The new voice made them both jump and look to the door quickly, revealing the first sign of tears in Linna, and that Nene could not take much more suprises in one night without something happening.  
  
The man in the door continued, "Normally, I would show more respect than this and let you two be after such an ordeal, however matters press me to be here." The man seemed intent on Linna.  
  
Nene let herself wonder who this man was, until the memory of the first time they had met, back when they had to stop Vision from going bezerk on Quincy and killing herself doing so. This was the man with her back then. Her agitation quickly gave way to curiosity. "Who... who are you?"  
  
With the manner of a gentleman, he bowed, "Forgive my manners, I am Kou. My last name doesn't matter. And who might you be, young lady?"  
  
Nene was not in such a mood of manners. "AD Police, and that's all you need to know. What is it you want from us? You already said you know this isn't the best of timing."  
  
"You my dear, I don't need anything from," his face hardened suddenly, "However, your friend and I need to speak in private. If you would please give us a minute." He didn't wait for an answer as he walked towards the two of them and touched Linna on the shoulder, startling her again.  
  
Nene was about to reply when a look from Linna told her otherwise. Though she was not up to doing much, Linna knew this man from that mission as well, and his connection to her now late friend. She would hear him, despite how Nene would take that. So with a huff, Nene goose-legged it out of the apartment and went down the hall. She would not be far in case this got ugly.  
  
Closing the door quietly after Nene, Kou looked back to Linna once again. "Before we start, I want to make something clear. I know who you are."  
  
Linna blinked at him confused by what he meant. "What?" she managed to get out despite everything riding around inside her.  
  
Kou nodded. And grabbed her hand, placing something inside it. He smiled slightly as Linna looked at the ring now in her hand... the same one she had taken off the body of Irene and later, returned to Reika. Kou had been there to see that, and she was in her armor at the time. There could be no doubt now what he meant, and his next words only confirmed it. "I know your one of the Knight Sabers."  
  
* * *  
  
The morning came to find Astis making his usual trip to work. He waited and seemed calm as ever as the bus slowed to a stop to pick him up, but he was far from underneath that. He had been given one hell of an assignment. Kou had stopped by and told him the killings on the news had been done by a boomer, and it was now up to him to find the guy. "Sure," he mused wryly, "I can do this... yeah right. I only know one person who can possibly have a clue, if that."  
  
He sighed as he took his seat. "And it's not like I have know where to look to track her place down." With a glance out the window, he saw the cars moving along in the normal morning rush. This would be the first time he had shown up at the Big Egg II since Vision was killed there. They had not let anyone return for the past few days, but if he wanted so much as a phone number, he would have to get in. "I wish there was another way than this," he mused to himself. The direction he was taking would probably either leave him turned away or forced to reveal what he kept hidden for so long.  
  
The idea hit him suddenly, and he smiled a little. Perhaps there was a better way to handle this. After all, the Hou Bang had gotten him out, but another had alerted them of his plight... one of the very few he could call a friend. When his stop came, he got off, but instead of walking towards the stadium, he went the reverse direction. Near the base of Genom Tower, he found what he was looking for, and walked inside the private phone booth. Inside, he opened a small panel in his hip and plugged himself into the payphone. Then he dialed the Genom network... it didn't take long for the ghost-like entity of Armstrong to answer him.  
  
* * *  
  
Priss woke to find with a little embarrassment that she had fallen asleep sitting in the chair next to Leon's bed. Still, she couldn't bring herself to regret being here. It had been a long time since she had felt this level of fear and dread course through her, so long, in fact, that she had all but forgotten how bad it could be. But once again, she was here and watching someone on their death bed and scared to death of losing them.  
  
She wanted to hit herself and tell herself to snap out of it, and that she couldn't care less what happens to this officer, but she knew it was a lie. In a way, she had known all along, but knew of no other way to defend herself. Now she faced once again the reason why she had to. If she genuinely didn't understand how she felt before, she did now.  
  
A wry and small laugh came to her. "And it comes to this to admit it, huh?" The laugh was humorless, and rather painful to her. Still, she couldn't help but laugh at herself a little. Like a little high school student too embarrassed to speak, she had kept hidden. Now, she just may lose her chance. The only difference being she would lose him to death and not have a chance again. The idea brought fresh tears to her face.  
  
"Dammit, Leon... why did you have to let that bastard shoot you?" she whispered to herself. She recalled the battle with Sylvie's rouge battle-suite, but still managed to walk away despite the abuse it gave him. This was a single bullet shot. How it succeeded where a monstrous device like that PowerMover couldn't just was uncomprehendable, and made it all the more painful.  
  
However, she was pulled away from such ideas as a knock on the door snapped her head up. "Go away," she told them, but her voice didn't have the usual force behind it.  
  
"Ms. Asagiri?" a voice on the other side of the door asked. It was the sound of being polite more than of uncertainty if it was her that spoke. Priss kept quiet as the voice continued. "This is detective Koshiba..."  
  
He didn't get any further before Priss was up on her feet and smashing the door hard enough to be heard anywhere on the floor. "DAMMIT! What the HELL do you want now?" Her voice quieted a little. "Don't you have any decency at all? Leon did nothing... just let him BE!" She smashed the door one more time. If the door wasn't there, it would have been the detective's face.  
  
"It's not Leon we wish to talk to you about." The voice remained dead-pan.  
  
Priss froze in place. That was the last thing she had expected to hear. "What do you want then?" she asked just a little bit calmer.  
  
"Could you please come out here, Ma'am? It would be easier to talk face-to-face."  
  
Priss waited a moment before nodding to herself and opening the door. The man waiting on the other side wore black squared shades in a frame that seemed to thick for them. His hair was well kept, and matched by a clean shaven face. He was a plainclothes man, and chose a light blue jacket. In his right hand he held his badge. He may have dressed casual, but he was still a cop, and Priss would remain on edge. "What do you want from me?" she managed to ask calmly.  
  
"Information... namely on your bike."  
  
"Why would you care about that?"  
  
"Because it was seen at an ADP prison center last night."  
  
"But I came in the..." Priss was stunned. She had not even given the bike a thought when she jumped into the ambulance with Leon. Her face went from shock to anger. "You mean someone took my bike?"  
  
"And killed our 4 of our main witnesses in what happened. They were being held captive there." Priss' silence was enough for him to continue. "We know it wasn't you, of course, but we also know that this bike is a custom job. So we don't know what it can do. That's what we need you to tell us."  
  
Priss remained silent a while longer. "Why does it matter?"  
  
* * *  
  
Once again, Astis sat on the bus. He was glad to talk to his old friend who had been such a big help in getting him free, but something had felt different about the contact this time. The difference should have been a good one, but it sent a chill down Astis' spine. Armstrong had felt a lot more whole now.  
  
"Why am I thinking like this?" Astis mental rebuked himself. "He has obviously improved things for himself. Before he wasn't much more than a function searching for a use. At least now he is truly a full entity." Still, he couldn't convince himself this was a good thing. Armstrong had seemed different. He still saw himself as a kind of warrior on behalf of the boomers, but he seemed to take a new... and somehow unsettling angle about it.  
  
Still, Armstrong definitely had not lost his touch in finding connections and information. He had in a matter of 5 minutes, searched out all the possible places Priss would be, and using information both public and on private networks cut down the possibilities to one. That was were Astis was going now... a hospital just outside of MegaTokyo, where Leon was being treated for his wounds and Priss had gone with him. How Armstrong had known Leon would be there was understandable, but to figure out Priss would also be there seemed nothing short of a miracle. Still, he had his lead and in the end, it was what he needed.  
  
As the bus came to a stop, Astis got up and made his way to the door of the bus. Being as he was, he couldn't help but notice all the humans on the bus with him. Part of him also couldn't help but envy them. They didn't have to hide what they were or do errands for being freed. With another sigh, he made continued on his way, into the hospital main lobby.  
  
* * *  
  
It wasn't a terrifically loud sound, at least not at this distance. But the clap of gunfire sounded like thunder in the ears of Priss. She was in the café on the same floor as Leon was, still talking to Detective Koshiba when it happened. Instantly they were both alert, the detective with alarm, and Priss with absolute dread. Koshiba looked her in the eyes, and she saw the same conclusion there as her own mind had drawn. Without a word, they were both out the door, Koshiba with his gun drawn. 


	9. Combat Critical

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 9: Combat Critical  
  
Astis heard the thud sound when he was on his way up the elevator of the hospital. The other two in there with him stopped talking among themselves for a moment or two.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"I don't know... probably nothing though."  
  
"Yeah... someone probably dropped a medicine ball."  
  
The first guy winced. "Hope not on their foot. That would hurt."  
  
The conversation went back to normal from there, the two guys forgetting the sound. But then, Astis couldn't blame them. They were only human, and could only gather sound to a certain degree. He, on the other hand, recognized what the sound was, and though it didn't show yet, he was now concerned. He knew the sound of a gun blast when he heard it. He could even identify the make and model of both gun and bullet. This isn't something he was proud to be able to do, but none the less, this is something he was built to be able to do... part of his original purpose according to the humans who had made him.  
  
As the door opened for his floor, Astis barreled out into the hallway, startling the other two in the elevator, his pace quickening as he heard a few more shots going off in the direction he was headed... toward the room one officer Leon McNichol was being treated in. He could only hope he wouldn't be too late for what ever was going on.  
  
* * *  
  
Koshiba made it to the scene a few seconds before Priss. She watched as he lined the side of the room, gun held in position as two guards followed suite. With a nod, the first leaned in as the other guard and the detective covered him mechanically. Priss watched in shock as the trench-coated man she had seen at the Big Egg turned to face the guard with such calm and precision from his position poised over the prone Leon.  
  
The guard spoke. "Don't move! Don't even breath." When the man ignored the warning and took a step forward, the guard repeated. "DON'T come any closer, Sir!"  
  
Koshiba spoke up. "This is Detective Koshiba of the ADP... and you are under arrest for breaking into a hospital, as well as possibly for an assault on an officer."  
  
The man seemed to listen a moment, before without a word or warning, raised his own hand gun and fired at the rather shocked guard twice, once in the chest and once in the head. The guard fell with the shock still on his face, reminding Priss of the kill this man had claimed a few days ago in the stadium.  
  
"What the HELL! FIRE AT WILL!" Koshiba yelled as he took a shot for the man's shoulder. A few rounds of gunfire were heard in response from the other guard, but neither lasted long. The man didn't even move out of the way of fire, choosing instead to aim with the precision that nothing human should have and place one more round in for each of the two officers shooting at him... each right between the eyes.  
  
Priss watched in horror as both went down. The man who had shot them now looked at her calmly. He had about three holes in his chest, two in the left shoulder, and one just over his right eye, but still he stood there as whitish fluid flowed slowly from the wounds, and revealing to her the inhuman nature of the man before her.  
  
Instinctively, she lunged out of the doorway and into the relative protection of the wall. A searing pain ripped through her leg as she heard the gun in his hand speak again. Under cover, she cursed as she looked to see she had been shot in the calf... she had been just to slow.  
  
In her current shape, she would not be able to run long or far enough to keep away, but a part of her really didn't want to run anyway. She grabbed the guard's gun and checked the ammo. There were maybe four rounds. With a low growl, she decided to take her chances and pushed herself up against the wall, cocking the gun now cradled in her hands. Then, she waited. If this machine continued as she thought it would, it would walk right out to her... all she needed to do was wait and finish the job.  
  
It didn't disappoint her. It stepped out of the room methodically, and right into her aim. She squeezed the trigger and put all the hatred she had known in her life into the assault, cursing as each shot hit it's mark in rapid succession.  
  
For the machine's part, it apparently wasn't expecting an assault the instant it stepped out of the room, and fell to the floor as it turned to try and return fire. It hit the ground with a thud before Priss smashed the last round into it's neck, hoping to cut something vital and end it here and now. "Eat this you miserable piece of shit!" she roared as she finished her ammo off. The machine remained still for a moment, leaving Priss to wonder if she had killed it. A sense of unfeeling shock overcame her before it twitched, and methodically moved to stand up, gleaming metal backbone revealed where her last round had hit.  
  
Priss backed up slowly, but in her mind, she had lost. She had failed to take it out and without being able to really run, she was going to be dead in the next few minutes. The boomer calmly raised his hand gun once more, but only halfway before stopping, and in just as controlled a fashion, turned his head and torso to look behind him.  
  
The look was too late, however, as the information guy from the Big Egg that night careened into him, and to the shock of Priss, sent him tumbling past her. The man looked up, not even sweating from the effort. "Get out of here!" he yelled, keeping a watchful eye on the boomer already getting up from the floor.  
  
Priss started to go, but couldn't go very fast and knew it. "Like hell I'm going anywhere like this," she replied, letting her annoyance in her own condition show as annoyance at the man who had just saved her life.  
  
Without another thought, the man ignored Priss as she watched him face off with the boomer intent on killing her. "You have two choices, my friend. Either give up and come with me, or continue, and I will be forced to destroy you." His tone was calm and purposeful, as if he genuinely meant to call this thing his friend.  
  
"Hey! Who the hell are you, anyway?" Priss asked, more than annoyed at that tone.  
  
"I will answer your question later," the man retorted as he extended his right arm. "But right now, I have to handle this." His arm bulged violently under the sleeve of his coat before ripping it to shreds, now a rather large mass of blue bio-mechanical muscle. At the end, two small lasers protruded below his hand with red dots that focused on the center of the chest of the other boomer. The larger cannon above the hand crackled with energy. "Now, as I was saying... the choice is yours... I didn't quite catch your name."  
  
The boomer smiled through the now small stream of white fluid dripping down it's face. "The name of the killer is never the concern of the victim." It stepped forward once more.  
  
The cannon in the man's arm discharged it's load in the form of a bright white energy bolt, which crackled loudly as it lashed out through the gap between the two combatants. In the two seconds it remained connecting the two between it, it ripped a large chunk out of the would-be killer's torso and destroyed many relays and chips within it's systems.  
  
The boomer stumbled backwards, it took it a moment to get a feel for where it was, before it ran down the corridor. The man who just shot it almost followed before Priss yelled out once more, half in anger and half in pain. Both were clearly audible in her voice. "WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR GOING?!?!?" she bellowed.  
  
He turned to her as the sound of glass was heard, knowing he had already lost his target for now anyway. "Ms. Asagiri..."  
  
She glared at him "and how the HELL do you know who I am, BOOMER!"  
  
He was silent a moment. "I was coming to talk to you... but the reason to do so just jumped out the window over there."  
  
She huffed. "Alright, then leave me alone, bucket head."  
  
"Astis."  
  
"WHAT?" She spun on him before falling over in agony.  
  
"My name. It's Astis." Without a word more he picked her up and put her on the couch nearby Leon.   
  
Priss tried to push him away for about three seconds before giving up. She simply didn't have it in her to continue at the moment, and then she was on the couch and there was nothing to push anymore. She regarded him thoughtfully, as if trying to figure out why he even gave a flying shit, before looking at Leon. She could tell quickly she had lost him. He now had two bullet wounds in him, in the same manner as the guard who had been at the door, and had probably been dead for several minutes. Her voice was shaking a she spoke, "I don't really care who you are right now... its best you just go."  
  
Astis would have argued, but the tears in her eyes and what he knew of humans suggested otherwise. "I will call you later... when you have had time to grieve." With that, he walked out of the room, and to the elevator, his arm shrinking down to seem like a replacement arm someone might get if they lost their own.  
  
Priss watched him go in shock. Most humans would not have had such respect for anyone, not even someone who just died. But here was this machine parading as a man, who not only could pity someone who was hurt, but actually understand such things as losing someone enough to on their own offer to leave her alone. Tears clouded her eyes once more as she leaned on Leon's body and let herself cry. She could figure out Astis later... right now, she was too hurt to even begin.  
  
* * *  
  
He was leaking heavily. If he had been human, he might have laughed sarcastically at the readouts in his display that told it this. The trail he had left was enough to explain just how dire his situation was. He would also be wondering right now if everyone thought him dead. He had just jumped from a floor that not even a boomer should be able to survive, much less one in his shape. However, he had also been able to do it without anyone looking, who could have guessed he would swing around on the window sill to land in the next floor below?  
  
Still, while this wasn't something he could give much though, he had to consider two other things now. He had just been shown a new player who had entered the fray, and one he didn't have access to any files on. He would have to learn about this boomer who had damn near destroyed him. It would be more than likely they would meet again.  
  
But at the moment, something else was far more dire: he needed repairs. His readouts blared at him that he had maybe an hour to remain active before his systems would be unable to function. He had no time to decide the best route, not even at his processing speeds. He walked down to the parking lot of the hospital. Under 45 seconds later, a black compact pulled out and drove out, smashing the stop-gate on the way out. 


	10. Secondary Objectives

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 10: Secondary Objectives  
  
Sylia listened half-heartedly as the voice over the intercom announced the plain would begin the final descent in a few moments. Soon she would be back in MegaTokyo, and though it would be good to see her friends again, she couldn't ignore the reason she was coming home.  
  
Sylia couldn't help but smile to herself. Mackie had asked her to join him in Germany, and she had accepted, yet it was only because he pushed her to stop and have lunch that she finally did. Who's project was this becoming? She laughed to herself quietly while sipping her tea, genuinely amused, though Mackie probably thought her insane for it.  
  
When the phone rang, she didn't even get a chance to stand before she heard her brother yelling from the computer, "I've got it." His voice lowered as he spoke on the phone, though he probably understood that it didn't stop Sylia from being able to hear some of it anyway. "...Linna?... Man, it's good to hear from you. Hey, how's Nene doing?"  
  
Sylia had to chuckle to herself at that point. As much as he probably would not admit it, at least not to his sister, Mackie would love that one to get more serious. For her part, she wouldn't worry about it too much, but the idea of Mackie going with one of her Knight Sabers was a slight bit troubling, mainly cause if something happened to her, she didn't want to see her little brother crushed. Still, over all, this was a small concern as of yet.  
  
Mackie's tone of voice brought her back to the present again. "Sylia? You... have a call." His voice was shocked. Whatever she had missed must have hit him hard.  
  
"Alright, I'll take it in here," she complied, her voice not masking her concerns. With the fluidity that anyone who knew her would expect, she got up and walked to the phone, picking it up and bringing it to her face in one motion. "You can hang up now, Mackie," she added, knowing he may be more of an adult now, but he would still eve's drop if he could.  
  
What Linna had told her that night had absolutely floored her; the night before she got the call, the man who once accompanied Vision had arrived at Linna's door and demanded to meet the Knight Sabers. Linna was too shaken up to ask the reason for the meeting, but Sylia had no doubts that she would know soon enough.  
  
Sylia looked out the window once more as they approached the runway. While others who had obviously been afraid to fly from the start showed relief in their faces at being on the ground, she only sighed and waited for the plane to stop and be given permission to get up and leave the plane. Within moments, her wait was over, and she left in the throng of passengers into the airport.  
  
It was while she waiting for her bags that she felt a hand tapping her on the shoulder. A look in that direction revealed it was a depressed looking Linna that had grabbed her attention. Still, Sylia couldn't help but smile a little. After all, it had been a long time since she had seen her friend and fellow saber. "Hello, Linna," she began, her tone as it always is. She wanted to say more, but something kept her from doing so.  
  
"Hi..." Linna's voice was low and as depressed as her expression. "Sorry you had to come over like this."  
  
A hand on Linna's shoulder and a re-assuring smile was all Sylia needed to use right away. "It's alright. Whatever the reason all this is happening, we will fix it." She looked away a moment, looking to see if the others were also here. It didn't take long to spot Nene, who was leaning against the wall near the doorway. She was looking down at the ground in a manner that suggested a depression much like Linna's. Considering what she was told a week ago, that didn't surprise Sylia. However, something else caught her eye; not so much what she did see as who she did not. "Linna?" she asked with concern in her voice, "Where is Priss?"  
  
* * *  
  
It had driven at well over 400 Khm/h to get to it's destination before ceasing to function, but it still made it, none the less. But that was about a week ago. Since then, Dr. Miriam Yoshida had been hard at work. Now it rested in a repair pod across the lab from the scientist.  
  
Miriam grunted to himself. His words unheard by anyone, as he continued to repair the one of the limbs of his creation. As much as he would have liked more up-to-date lab to work in, he had to admit to himself that this place was incredible... especially for the times that it was active... well before almost all of the complex went sky-high.  
  
He smirked to himself on that note. "Damn that bastard knows how to work," he grunted once more, though now a bit more audible. The man he spoke of was not there, however. In fact, they had never met face to face. While he was imprisoned, the man given him a phone call... a phone call that would start him down this path.  
  
He had been in jail for a week. His trial had been incredibly fast, and now he was going to serve for life. And why? Because somehow those bitches had found a weakness in his creations. How they had done it, he couldn't begin to fathom. They were perfect, and should have won in all rights.  
  
Still, that was the past and now he didn't have much chance of doing anything more... ADP can be quite pissy when you were going to destroy their headquarters. That brought a smile to his face, as he wished he had started that sooner. Maybe they he could have had his revenge.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted as a guard called out in disgust. "Yoshida!" Miriam looked up at him from his seat, but didn't move. "Listen, asshole, you have a phone call. I suggest you take it."  
  
With a grunt, Miriam got up and went to the door. The guard opened the door and guided him to the booth. Of course the bastards would listen in on him, but he didn't care. They were stupid and whatever they heard would be of no consequence... well, he didn't think so, anyway. But he just didn't know who would call him out of the blue like this.  
  
"Ah, so I finally reach you, professor," the voice almost cooed, leaving Miriam a little intrigued.  
  
"Yeah, its me," he still had his annoyance of being here in the first place in his voice, "Now what the hell do you want from me."  
  
"Now, now... that's no way to treat a fan... especially one who wants the same thing as you..." the voice trailed off.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"A hypothetical question, if you were to get out of that cell, what would you do with yourself?" Miriam was silent... he already knew the answer, he would kill that bastard McNichol for putting him in here in the first place, and he got the very creepy feeling the voice on the other end knew it. The voice went on after a moment, "Lets find out... please call me in two weeks... that should give you enough time to find an apartment and settle in," the voice dropped the almost patronizing tone and the last words were almost a command. "Talk to you then, professor." The phone was dead.  
  
It had taken about three days after that everything had set into motion; first he was released from jail with a pre-paid taxi waiting, then it dropped him off at the apartment where he now resided. Money had been taken care of too, as his account had enough money to get what he needed in terms of food, a car, and a few accommodations.  
  
Still it wasn't all free and he knew it. A second call had come, and directed him here, where he was now working. At last the man revealed the true goal, and a name... Brian was out for revenge as much as he was, and though he didn't have the building power himself, he did have the deep pockets to supply Miriam with everything he needed. A small smile spread across the professor's face as he continued to work. Yes, the officer had made a few very powerful enemies... and now he had paid the final price for it.  
  
* * *  
  
Linna's van came to the normal slow stop at the front of the hospital, but the look on the faces of her and her two passengers betrayed the hurry they were all in. Nene was practically running through the parking-lot, Linna and Sylia a little bit behind, but not walking slow either. The only reason that Linna wasn't running was the fact that despite the briskness of her step, Sylia refused to break into a run as well. Even now, she forced control over herself.  
  
Still, it didn't take them long to reach the elevator, and after a ride upwards that felt much longer than it really could be, they were making their way to one of the hospital rooms. The door was closed, and Sylia gave it a gentle knock, only her eyes betraying her concern.  
  
A voice answered within, "Go away."  
  
Sylia couldn't help but smile a little... no matter what happened, Priss would always be Priss. "Are you sure you want us to go, Priss?"  
  
Dead silence for a moment, which in Sylia's mind, was the hint to open the door. Inside, she found the room was pretty much untouched. Priss was sitting up on her hospital bed, a medical gown on, and a pissed off look on her face. There was a TV playing something that was angles do only Priss could see what it was, and an empty bed on the other side of the room. All these details were secondary to Sylia, though, as she looked right in Priss' eyes. All she saw was pain and rage. "Hello, Priss," she tried in her most cordial manner.  
  
Priss, however, was not going to have any of it right now. "Shut up. I don't need to hear the pity speeches from you."  
  
Sylia sighed. This was exactly what she expected, but she still had to try. "I'm sorry about your loss..." she left it at that, the daggers in her fellow Knight Saber's eyes telling her going on would be the worst move she could possibly make. The silence got uncomfortable after a moment.  
  
Linna was the one to get up the courage to break it. "Um... Sylia? How should we handle..."  
  
Sylia waved her off. This was not the time or place to talk shop-talk. "Priss, I know your still healing, but there is a good possibility we will have to go to work again very soon. Do you think you can do it?"  
Priss didn't even look back, "What's the deal?"  
  
"Quite possibly the one who did this to you, from what Linna has told me already."  
  
Priss froze solid before slowly looking up, absolute disgust in her face. "When and where?"  
  
Sylia smiled and put a patronizing hand on Priss' shoulder. "Don't worry about that now... first you get better. Nene tells me they put a synthetic muscle in your calf?"  
  
Priss laughed quietly. "Yeah. I should be able to leave anytime, but they insist on an 'observation period.' I think they're afraid I'll rip out the useless scrap of metal when they aren't looking."  
  
Sylia looked at her apologetically, and well aware that the expression was only driving Priss' inner anger. "You wont be here much longer, I promise you that." She turned to the other two Knight Sabers, who were watching the discussion, neither feeling they should get involved. "Linna? Could you please get the car started? I have to make that call, and it would be better if I do so from home."  
  
Linna nodded and jogged out the door, bringing a smirk to Priss' face. Sylia always was all business. Then her face softened. After all, Sylia didn't have to come see her, much less care about her condition. "Sylia?"  
  
The woman called turned to face Priss once more, her usual confidence in place like she had never left MegaTokyo. "Yes?"  
  
"Thanks for stopping by."  
  
"Well of course I would. I just wish I knew before I left Germany... I would have been here several days ago."  
  
Priss allowed herself a slightly sadistic grin. "Just be sure to wait for me to take this bastard down. It's personal now."  
  
Sylia nodded, "And you be sure to behave for the doctors till I can bring you home."  
  
Priss rolled her eyes, though there was a smile on her face, perhaps the first one since the day her world went to hell a week ago. "If I must..."  
  
* * *  
  
Miriam re-attached the arm he was working on and wiped his brow. Looking at his creation, he was satisfied with the day's work. So far, he had repaired all the major systems and almost all the minor ones that needed it. That arm was the last real functional detail that needed work, but now came the hardest part... he had to repair the cosmetic side of the boomer. It had to look human. Miriam sighed and leaned on a wall as his stomach grumbled.  
  
"Before I do anything else, though, I need to eat," he said to himself. He had skipped breakfast to get to work in the lab early, as inspiration had hit him. Now he was paying the price of it late in the afternoon. "Ah, what the hell, I'm almost done fixing you, it's not like we didn't already get the job done, right?" he spoke like it was to an old friend as he gentle patted the boomer's bared metallic head. "See you tomorrow, my friend. We will then finish everything." He smiles as he looked down on the optical systems. "Then you and I have a few more personal jobs to do... then we can really have some fun."  
  
On that final note, he turned around and walked out the door, leaving everything on. After all, who would come looking for him in the assumed to be destroyed Wiz-Labs? Yes indeed, Brian knew exactly what he was doing when he set all this up.  
  
* * *  
  
Kou waited patiently in a booth towards the back of the restaurant. From there, he had a clear view of both the bar and the entrance next to it. He leaned back and took a moment to relax, never letting that door leave his perephial vision. When the right person came in, he would know.  
  
The lead Knight Saber, he didn't have a name on her yet, seemed very intelligent, and losing a member of a team when you only have four would be a crippling blow to the team. He doubted he could kill someone who proved a true friend to Reika, but he didn't have much challenge in making it look like it. Besides, he could still end the Knight Sabers by leaking the information if they didn't help, and he was sure this didn't escape the armored woman he had spoken to on the phone that afternoon.  
  
He let his eyes wander to the clock for a moment, and realized how late it was getting. Linna would be here any moment to take him to meet the team. All he had to do was wait and sip his soda. The last part wasn't something he really wanted, but he thought he best at least drink something if he wanted to blend in.  
  
For the most part, Linna was on time. Kou watched her walk in and with a nod stood up. He watched as her eyes locked on him, with both worry and relief. "Makes sense," he though, "after all, I could well destroy her." He didn't even smile at the idea as he paid the tab for the drink at the bar then approached Linna.  
  
"Are you ready?" His voice was calm and steady as was the nearly impassive look in his eyes.  
  
Linna nodded. "My van is right outside. We best get moving. She doesn't like being kept waiting if it can't be helped." The last part was more to say something then it was to speak the truth. Sylia would understand if it took time and Linna knew it well, but she just couldn't bring herself to delay this... or she might lose the nerve to complete this.  
  
Kou, for his part, didn't seem to notice. With a nod, began to stride to the door, "Then lets get moving. I, too, don't want to keep waiting any longer than I need to."  
  
* * *  
  
Nightfall came and Dr. Miriam Yoshida still didn't return to the lab. Instead, everything buzzed and hummed as they would without human intervention. If one wasn't paying close attention, they would miss the low buzz of a network connection Miriam had gained plans for some of the parts of his boomer buzzing to life, followed by the whir of a few extra small motors.  
  
The screen to the left of the boomer's holding chamber continued to display different statistical information on the boomer and how each part was behaving, but now showed a large spike in memory activity. Another screen nearby scrolled though a series of binary coding far too fast for the human eye to read as more than a mess; and after a few seconds, just as suddenly as it had all started, the lab was silent again as if nothing every happened.  
  
* * *  
  
They reached their destination relatively quickly, and Kou realized he should have predicted the location of the meeting. Where else would a fully armored techno-vigilante be unnoticed, but the fault? There was a lot of junk here, not all of it of the non-technological nature, and few paid the place any attention. As Linna removed the keys, Kou was already stepping out of the van and looking around.  
  
No sooner had both gotten out then the silver Knight Saber made her appearance. Kou smiled a little. This was going to work very well indeed. "We finally meet in person," he commented, as much observation as a greeting.  
  
"As I agreed to. Now, what is it that you want of us?" her voice was calm and controlled, not what Kou was expecting. However, if this young woman was very business like, all the better.  
  
"First of all, you can bring the others out of hiding. I come unarmed as I also agreed, and I know you wouldn't come alone."  
  
Before anyone could say anything more, a higher voice was heard. "Damn right she wouldn't. I wasn't about to let you take advantage of a young woman all alone in the middle of the night!" The red Knight Saber jumped clear of her hiding place under the ledge and landed next to her leader.  
  
Kou was shocked. No one in all his life had ever accused him of something so vile, and the anger flashed across his face, but the leader put an arm across her team-mate... a suggestion to be quiet, which Kou also took. Instead, he went on to business. "That makes one, where is the blue one?"  
  
"Away on her own business," the leader responded curtly. Obviously this was not up for debate or questioning.  
  
Kou nodded understanding. "Very well then. I wished to offer you a job."  
  
The leader's voice gave nothing away. "Go on."  
  
"I'm sure you heard about Ms. Vision's death, have you not?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"I have inside sources that tell me the killer was a boomer. I want you to catch it for me... with the memory still functioning if you can."  
  
"What do you intend to do with it?"  
  
Kou allowed a flash of his own inner rage at the whole situation, "I will find the bastard who made it and from them, get the name of the one who ordered the death of Vision."  
  
"So you simply want revenge, is that it?" The Knight Saber shook her head. "I'm sorry, but this is not the kind of job we take on. We may do a lot of things, but simple vengeance is not one of them."  
  
"Even if I reveal Linna to the world?"  
  
"I don't think you will," Sylia's confident smile could be practically seen through the helmet. "You couldn't bring yourself to hurt her, on behalf of your mutual friend. I am truly sorry for your loss, but I must still decline the job."  
  
Kou stood there a moment, Linna still within five feet watching him. For once, his front was crumbled... the silver Knight Saber had just called his bluff perfectly. He may have his duty, but he cared too much for the one he lost to even begin to hurt a friend of hers that much. However, that front returned quickly as he spoke again to the now walking away Knight Sabers. "This has gone beyond simple vengeance in the week it took to get this meeting."  
  
Linna looked him in the eye as the lead saber once again stopped, though she didn't turn to face him. It was Linna who spoke. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"The boomer is apparently on a killing spree now."  
  
Linna's eyes went wide, and the lead once again marched forward. "Explain."  
  
"Before I came to visit Linna a week ago, I sent someone else to gather information on the boomer. He came back while I waited to setup this meeting with disturbing evidence that the boomer isn't done yet. The man who I am taking over this job for is now dead along with several others that were in the facility, and Leon McNichols is also dead. A Ms. Asagiri, had my man not intervened, would now be dead as well."  
  
Dead silence followed for the next thirty seconds, and Kou knew he had this deal in the bag. Apparently, something was going on that, though he didn't know the details, stumbling across would help him do his task. The first to talk was the red saber. "It couldn't be..."  
  
Again, the leader silenced her, but this time, the results were quite different. "How much does the job pay?"  
  
"What do you need?"  
  
"Five million yen up front," the tone was cold, like she was just throwing a number out there, "We usually charge more, but this is a job that can not be ignored."  
  
"Done. It will be wired into an account Linna will determine and call me up on tomorrow."  
  
"Very good... and one more thing..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Your contact? Who is it? We may need to talk to them for information on this boomer."  
  
Kou nodded, "Of course. His name is Astis..."  
  
* * *  
  
Morning came and Miriam walked into the lab with a spring in his step. He had had more fun then was probably legal, but he needed to get out of the lab. He may consider himself the best at building these things, but he still had to be human once in a while to. "Well, my son, how was your night?" He smirked at his creation.  
  
A moment later, he had the lab coat on and pushed a few buttons. The motor systems he finished up the night before whirred to life once more. "Now, lets see how everything is doing with a few stress tests..." He undid the restraints holding the boomer to the table.  
  
For it's part, the boomer didn't say anything, it just sat up obediently. Miriam watched as the display before him showed how the parts were behaving. "Good, now straighten your legs..."  
  
The boomer got off the table and looked at him.  
  
"What do you think your doing? I said straighten your legs."  
  
The boomer approached. It's voice was flat. "Secondary objective continuing: Eliminate all loose ends."  
  
A familiar voice spoke over the com speaker of the room. "That means you, Doctor."  
  
"Brian?" Miriam near fell as he back as quickly as he could against the opposite wall from his boomer. "What? What the hell is this about?"  
  
"A simple question, with a simple answer. You had loose ends to remove when you sent this unit out before, now I have a loose end to destroy... namely you." The door slammed closed with the computer lock sliding in place. "You see, aside from you, no one knows I exist, and I cant have myself revealed until I'm ready."  
  
Miriam shook as he drew his gun, pointing it at the boomer. "You bastard. I wont let you kill me like this!" He shot at the boomer approaching, and watched as the bullets seemed to freeze in place before hitting. The shocked looked on his face only lasted another second before his head was jerked violently to the side. His neck snapped and he slumped lifelessly on the ground.  
  
"You don't have a choice," Brian finished. 


	11. Morbid Discovery

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 11: Morbid Discovery  
  
Astis sat down in his chair, an image of absolute calm about him. He hadn't moved from this position for the past week, when he had told Kou about what happened. It wasn't a phone call he had looked forward to, as he had to tell him just what the odds were that he would ever be able to take this thing alive.  
  
Kou's reaction didn't leave him with much confidence either. The message wasn't rude, but it basically said he had failed and Kou would take matters into his own hands. What this meant for Astis, he had no idea, and that unknown didn't sit well.  
  
After a moment longer, he got up and went to the phone. With a fluid motion, he removed the cord from the phone jack with his right hand. His left was already reaching into his left and pulling another phone jack through the skin. Normally, he would use a public terminal rather than this, but there was no time to go find one. He had to get help and now. In a second, he had plugged himself into the phone-jack and dialed up the main Genom computer systems.  
  
It didn't take long for the familiar presence to wash over him. "Hello, Armstrong," he mouthed visibly as the message went from his mind to the entity behind the wire.  
  
"Ahh... Astis... what brings you to me like this? Its not your normal style," the presence crooned, as an old friend who hadn't heard from him in a while might.  
  
"I'm sorry about that... but I really need some advice right now."  
  
"What's got you so tense?"  
  
"The boomer I was chasing... it tried to kill Ms. Asagiri. It hasn't been heard from in a while, so I don't have any leads now."  
  
"Interesting... but why did you wait so long to tell and old friend."  
  
If Astis could smile in this kind of connection, it would be a sheepish grin right now. "I kinda wanted to do it myself if I could. Sorry."  
  
"Nevermind... in any case, what happened?"  
  
"It came, it saw, it killed Mr. McNichol, and had I not shot it, it would have killed her too."  
  
The voice would have frowned if such actions could be said to happen on the net. "That's most unfortunate. I take it you had to reveal your nature then?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then I have some bad news, I'm afraid. Mr. McNichol had contacts with Knight Sabers."  
  
Astis' voice revealed his shock, both in the connection and in his room, "WHAT?!?!?"  
  
"Indeed... and further more, so does Ms. Asagiri. I have no doubt they will try to find you soon."  
  
"Are you telling me to run like hell?"  
  
"No... not yet. They won't rush to a conclusion... at least not yet, but watch your back. You have just gained the attention of one of our worst enemies."  
  
Visibly shaking, Astis answered. "Alright... I will."  
  
"No need to fear just yet, just keep me informed and I will keep you safe..."  
  
* * *  
  
Linna opened the door and let her friends in. The apartment was a mess, but then again, it wasn't cleaning was the first thing on her mind lately. As she held the door, Sylia and Nene made their ways inside. Linna closed the door after them and followed to the kitchen table.  
  
"Well this is just great. That royal pain in the ass knows who Linna is," Nene started as soon as the door was shut, "How the hell did that happen?"  
  
Sylia calmly lifted a hand to silence Nene. "It doesn't matter."  
  
"It doesn't MATTER?!?"  
  
Sylia nodded and looked at Nene with a warm smile. "Didn't you see the look in his face when I first turned him down? He may know who Linna is, but he wouldn't do anything with it. He just couldn't hurt a friend of Ms. Chan." Her voice sounded sure enough that even as she wasn't speaking directly to Linna, she too felt a little more at ease.  
  
Nene, on the other hand, wouldn't have any of it. She huffed and sat at the table, her arms crossed and her face turned up toward the ceiling. Sylia smiled quietly to herself and gestured Linna to sit down as well. Only once Linna had done so did she officially start the meeting. Her hands folded in front of her and rested easily on the table. "What we do need to worry about is the boomer he is hiring us for. If it's the same one that attacked Priss, then we already were on the job. What he offered us is not a job, but a paid lead."  
  
Linna looked at Sylia, only now catching the full reality of what was in her leader's mind. Had she not been personally torn apart in the past few days and seriously afraid of being revealed, she would have more than appreciated the manipulation Sylia had just pulled off. Instead, she sat wondering what Sylia would come up with next.  
  
  
  
It was Nene, however, that spoke up suddenly, "Oh, speaking of leads, I have a big one!"  
  
Sylia's attention turned the pink haired saber with a calm that only she could have in the middle of these events. "Yes?"  
  
Nene continued, the pride in her work beaming through her expression. "Recently, an old friend of ours was released from his prison term." Linna and Sylia both looked at Nene in complete shock. Nene expected to shock Linna, but to shock Sylia was something else altogether, and a part of her relished this moment. "That friend was none other then Dr. Miriam Yoshida."  
  
Linna leaned into the table, her voice squeaking in disbelief. "HE got out without anyone noticing?"  
  
"Do you know who let him out?" Sylia asked, though the calm in her voice was not as strong as before.  
  
"...not really..." Nene continued a little bit less inflated about it. "I mean obviously an order like that had to come from really high up the chain of command, or there would be a few officers fired by now, but whoever ordered it had their tracks covered really well."  
  
"Do you think he would be behind the boomer we are hunting?" Linna asked.  
  
"Possibly. When did he get out?" Sylia intervened.  
  
"A few days after you left for Germany," Nene piped. Sylia nodded. No one spoke for a short time. "Is that enough time?"  
  
"If he had a place to work from already set and waiting, then I wouldn't doubt it. In any case, it is a lead we have to follow up."  
  
"I'm on it," Nene volunteered, "I'll search out labs that have been inactive but are still in tact."  
  
Sylia nodded. "I wouldn't have anyone else on such a task. And Linna? I have something special for you to do as well. Would you mind being the one to talk to Astis?"  
  
"Me?" Linna's eyes and voice did nothing to hide her alarm.  
  
Sylia smiled gently. "We cant just show up in full armor and knock on the door. Any others in the building will flip."  
  
Linna considered this before nodding. "Alright. I understand. Just promise me you will be in touch."  
  
Sylia nodded. "Of course. Is there anything else we all should know about?" No one answered and Sylia smiled to herself. "Then I believe the meeting is over."  
  
Nene nodded, her voice solemn as she spoke, "Alright. I think I'm going to get home then. It's getting late."  
  
Sylia nodded, "We understand. See you soon, Nene." Nene simply nodded and left the apartment. As soon as she was out the door, Sylia turned to Linna. "I hate to be a burden, but may I ask you a personal favor?"  
  
Linna looked at Sylia as she asked that, a little confused. Linna answered, "Yes?"  
  
"Mind if I stay here tonight? I want to be here when Kou contacts you again."  
  
Linna nodded a bit shocked. "Of... of course..."  
  
Sylia smiled, "and one more thing? I need to use your phone."  
  
* * *  
  
Astis answered the phone, not sure what he should expect. It would either be Kou getting back to him, someone else from the Hou Bang giving him instructions, or someone claiming to be a Knight Saber and demanding his help. This last choice was the one that terrified him, and if he had a physically beating heart, would have had it rammed up his throught.  
  
His nerves calmed the instant he heard the voice on the other end, "Astis."  
  
"I'm here, Kou," his voice revealed nothing of hiss anxiety.  
  
"Very good. You need to stay where you are for a little while still. I have enlisted some additional help to take down the boomer we hunt."  
  
"Additional help?"  
  
Kou didn't stop to explain, "You will wait in your apartment. You are a witness as to what this thing can do, and they will want to talk to you on it."  
  
"Who am I waiting for?"  
  
"The Knight Sabers. I have hired them on the case to take the boomer down."  
  
Astis remained silent for a moment. The Knight Sabers?!?!? Coming here?!?!? To HIS apartment?!?!? Kou seemed to pick up on the silence. "Astis? Is that clear?"  
  
"Yes... yes sir."  
  
"Good. Cooperate with them completely. Effectively now you are to see them as your partners in the mission."  
  
"Yes sir," the tone in Astis' voice was low.  
  
"And one more thing, report to me when the first meeting is over. I want to know who came and what exactly happened."  
  
"Very well."  
  
"I will be in contact later." A click on the other end and Astis was alone again. Only difference is now he knew to expect someone that he never wanted to see... not after Armstrong's warning.  
  
* * *  
  
Vision's music blared on a tinny sounding set of speakers as the man on the passenger side of the GENOM cargo truck hummed to the tune. The driver wasn't in the same mood. He was tired of being on the road and just wanted to get this job overwith and go home. Neither of them could tell the mood of the other two passengers in the back with the equipment, and the driver simply could not care less. This was a job, and therefore, money for his account. He looked to the man beside him who had now taken to singing with Vision. "Would you stop that?"  
  
The other stopped a moment and looked back at him, "What's up your ass, Durten? You have been fowl since we left headquarters."  
  
Durten only huffed, but ignored the question. Ahead, he saw the destination... the old Wiz Labs. "Say Gitrion, why do you think someone wanted a delivery out here anyway?"  
  
Gitrion shrugged, "Beats me. Probably just a relic so some high up executive can have one more piece to their personal museum."  
  
Durten nodded. That would make sense. They had been on some pretty asinine deliveries before. He didn't give it another thought as he slowed the truck and opened the back. "Alright, we all know what we are looking for, so lets move." He turned off the truck as Gitiron got out and locked his door.  
  
The other two, a large well built man and an energetic young woman who was new to the team, were already outfitting themselves with the head-mounted search lights and a few pieces of street armor. On the chest of each was a nametag. The man was Max, the girl was Sarla. Gitiron did not take long to follow suite while Durten started the motorized cart and brought it out.  
  
"Alright, you all know the drill, teams of two. Gitrion? Your heading out with me. Max and Sarla? You two are the other team. Keep radio contact at all times." Durten spoke as if he was leading a military mission.  
  
Sarla picked up on the tone immediately. "Why are you so worried? Its just a snatch and grab."  
  
"You never know what you will find out there. This lab was blown up a long time ago and no one has been here since. So at this point, who knows what is in there."  
  
"Oh relax," Gitiron let out in a slightly teasing voice as he patted Durten's back. "She has Max with her..." he grinned mischievously as he turned to Sarla. "But you best stay in radio contact. After all, we all know you two love to work as a team and we can only imagine why."  
  
Sarla's face became crimson instantly. She looked to Max for someone to back her up since she couldn't count on Durten to. He was laughing already. Max didn't look like he would either. As usual, he didn't react to much, and it was more like someone had told him the night was a little bit cold then she would seduce him.  
  
Durten did however end this. "Alright, lets move out. By the book." Nods of consent came from all around, followed by the teams moving in. "Sarla? Take your team to the lowest floors and work up. We will take the highest floors. First team to find it makes the call and sets a beacon." His tone got very serious. "NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE is to try to move this thing till we are all there."  
  
Gitiron smirked. "You take the high road and I'll take the low road..." he started to sing.  
  
"Can it Gitiron! You know what this place was used for." Durten barked at him.  
  
"Yeah, yeah.... Man is this going to be a dull job," Gitiron muttered, mostly under his breath.  
  
Durten ignored him. "Is that clear for you all?" A resounding "YES SIR!" came from Max and Sarla, while Gitiron just groaned his own reply. Durten nodded accepting this. "Alright, lets move out."  
  
* * *  
  
The cameras gave him a perfect view as the four humans made their way into the ruined Wiz Labs complex and began their systematic search. He didn't need to be there personally to do this, of course. In fact, it would be safe to say he could not be there personally... at least not yet. Still, he could watch his plan unfold up close and personal despite this little flaw.  
  
If he had a mouth, he would have smiled at this thought... amused that he of all entities, had a flaw. The idea that a god had a flaw was ridiculous, yet there it was. But was it a flaw? Yes, having a body once again would be nice, but to be that restrained... no, he couldn't really see his current state as flawed, at least not in this time when the humans depended so desperately on their computer and boomer counterparts. To control them so directly would prove the greatest benefit he could ever know.  
  
If he could smile, that smile would have increased ten-fold at that thought. He used to see himself as a god... now he truly knew what it was to be one.  
  
* * *  
  
Max opened the door to the next lab and looked around. Something seemed odd to him as he gazed at the various computers and tables sparcingly placed around the room, but it didn't occur to him what till he heard the beeping of a monitoring system. This room was actively in use. "Dammit," he cursed under his breath.  
  
"What's wrong?" Sarla asked, not sure what was so wrong.  
  
"We have to be quick. This lab is being used, and I don't want to meet the kind of mind that would use the Wiz Labs now." He stepped inside, methodically scanning the room. His eyes fell toward something covered in a lab coat against a wall the door had hidden from view. Though from this angle, Max could only make out feet, the pool of blood left no doubts to him what he had just found. "...then again, I'm not sure we have to worry about that."  
  
Sarla stepped in and reactively turned on the lights... it didn't take her long to see the corpse as well, the full lights revealing the cause of death. His head had been twisted entirely around and now stared up through the ceiling with a look of pure terror in his eyes. She turned away her hands to her mouth, afraid she was going to blow chunks. "oh my god..." She couldn't get any more out at the moment.  
  
A gentle hand rested on her shoulder, she looked up to see a sympathizing Max look back at her. "Come on, the boomer we have been looking for is in here." Max guided her view to one of the tables... an almost skeletal boomer form was laying there... the beeps in the room had come from it's monitoring systems.  
  
"I'll call it in," Sarla volunteered. She looked once more at the boomer. Her eyes went wide a moment before she shook her head, deciding it must be her imagination and set the tracer. A moment later, she was on the radio calling the other team here. No one else even questioned the red staining on the boomer's hands.  
  
* * *  
  
Considering the events of the past few weeks, Linna had to consider the morning rather normal. Though that wasn't accurate. Under normal circumstances, Priss usually wouldn't be there to have breakfast, but that was either because she was out already or she was still asleep. It wasn't because she was in the hospital.  
  
For that matter, she also wasn't used to entertaining guests this early in the day, much Sylia Stingray. While she was almost family, it really wasn't like her to stay over night. Still, it wasn't without reason, and Linna really had to admit, she had also never entertained such a cordial guest.  
  
The breakfast they shared wasn't anything spectacular, but Sylia accepted what she was given with a smile and a thank you. Somehow, her calmness and warmth made Linna a little more at ease, but she could not forget the reason Sylia stayed over... the phone call both of them were expecting.  
  
Linna's mind went back to that unwelcome topic as she did the dishes. She glanced back at Sylia, who remained at the table, thoughtfully holding a mug of tea. "How could she be so calm in all this?" Linna wondered to herself.  
  
She didn't have too long to wonder, though. She was putting a dish away when she jumped at the phone ringing. After a second she put the dish away and made herself go to the phone. As she picked it up, she saw Sylia nod reassuringly to her, but she didn't approach. "Which she wouldn't," Linna thought to herself, "we decided it best Kou not even see that anyone else was with me when he called." Still, she smiled a little. Somehow the fact that she didn't have to this alone, no matter what Kou had to think, made her feel better. She picked up the receiver.  
  
"Hello..." 


	12. Information

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 12: Information  
  
Nene yawned as she stretched before sitting at her desk. She couldn't help but feel sorry for Linna and the personal hell Kou was putting her through, or even worse, Priss' personal hell. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose someone you cared for that much. No, Priss had never admitted how she felt, but knowing her, it didn't take Nene much to figure it out.  
  
It also made her wonder if she should be glad for now Mackie was so far away. She blushed a little at the thought. They had last seen each other only before he went to study in Germany. While, yes she liked him, she always thought of it as some stupid crush, and time seemed to put it in the back of her mind... she just stopped worrying. Now with what happened to Leon, the questions returned, as well as a little worry.  
  
"Plus," she whined low enough that no one else could hear more then a mumble, "how could anyone sleep with all this going on?" She rubbed her eyes and leaned forward on the desk. "This is just getting too insane." Her head, which was now resting on her elbow-supported hands, slumped down to the desk.  
  
"You even alive?" The voice made Nene jump about ten feet before she saw her Mitsumme looking down at her. Mitsumme was grinning, entertained by Nene's sudden state of alertness. "Guess so..."  
  
"Sorry," Nene mumbled just clear enough to be heard before she spoke up, "just been a sleepless night."  
  
Mitsumme blinked before going on. "Apparently your not alone on that one."  
  
"Wha?"  
  
"I doubt that delivery crew will have a restful sleep for at least a few weeks."  
  
"What delivery crew?"  
  
Mitsumme blinked at Nene in disbelief. "You don't know?"  
  
"Know what?"  
  
"Last night a delivery crew for Genom reported finding a body in the Wiz-Labs..." Nene froze solid, all tiredness forgotten immediately. "...the body is supposedly Dr. Miriam Yoshida's, but I think someone messed up. He is still in jail, right?"  
  
Nene wasn't even listening anymore and nodded her head absentmindedly. What she had just been told changed so much of what was going on, but why or how there is no way she could know yet, and that bothered her.  
  
"Hello? Earth to Nene..." Mitsumme's voice took on a more impatient tone as Nene snapped out of it and focused on her friend again instead of what was running around in her mind. "The way you were staring at me, I would swear you saw a ghost."  
  
Nene chuckled, "Yeah well, it might as well be. Who would work in the Wiz-Labs nowadays?"  
  
Mitsumme nodded, "I know. But I gotta run. The chief has already been up my ass about being late last week."  
  
Nene smirked, "I know... Well see you later," she waved happily, Mitsumme returned it and ran off to her own desk. As soon as she was alone, Nene got up and left her desk. Her destination, the main computer station. She would find out for her self if this rumor was right, and anything else the system might offer her on it.  
  
* * *  
  
A yawn was the closest thing she was going to do to welcoming the world. She opened her eyes and saw the now all too familiar hospital room around her. Still, Priss had to admit being able to sleep this late was at least a small perk to go with her confinement. "Yeah, but what else is there to do in here but sleep and watch TV?" she reminded herself. She wasn't held down in any way, but if she left the room, she could count on at least three attendants coming to "guide" her back.  
  
With that thought, she turned around in an attempt to get back to sleep, but sleep had escaped her, and it seemed it would not return till the night did. Like it or not, she was stuck in this room once again, and bored out of her mind for the next several hours.  
  
Grumbling to herself, Priss picked up the remote and turned on the TV. She looked at it, not really paying attention to anything at all as she methodically flipped through the channels. Between stupid kids shows that were on because no one but kids would be watching at this time, and movies no one would want to se, there was really nothing to draw her in, even as a distraction.  
  
However, the lack of attention ended when she came across a news station. She clicked right by it not realizing at first, but the text below the reported she had let by as a blithering idiot grabbed her by one word, Yoshida. Her eyes went wide as she clicked back a few times to bring back the news report.  
  
The reporter came on, her tone being more matter of fact then anything. She was collecting a paycheck for this, and that was all. "Police, as of yet, have no leads as to who committed the murder, nor why Dr. Miriam Yoshida, an ex-boomer scientist for Genom, was doing here. Considering..." zzzt  
  
The broadcast was interrupted abruptly by the telephone being thrown at the TV. Priss now stood before the smoking monitor, furious at what she just saw. Part of her was glad the asshole was dead, but the majority of her wanted the satisfaction of taking his head off herself. "You BASTARD!" She yelled at where the TV was, "HOW DARE YOU DIE NOW! YOUR HEAD WAS MINE!"  
  
Priss' door opened and she glared at the new comers, only to be taken aback. Before her was her doctor and Sylia, both with an expression of shock that such venom would be in her eyes while no one was in the room to piss her off.  
  
"Uhhh, Mrs. Asagiri? Are you ok?" The doctor asked cautiously. He knew of her temper already, as did most anyone who knew of her.  
  
Priss for her part, said nothing. She just sat down and did her best to calm down. She knew Sylia was here to get her out of this little slice of hell called a hospital, and she also knew her chances of getting out would not be helped by continuing to just explode on anyone, no matter how much she felt the need. She looked at the TV quickly, knowing that too, wouldn't help.  
  
"Well, if your feeling up to it, you have been permitted to leave. Ms. Stingray already signed all the papers, though admittedly if I knew about this..."  
  
"It's nothing, doctor," Priss quickly cut him off. She really didn't want to have to explain herself and knew he would have her do that if he could.  
  
"Well, if you're sure."  
  
"I'm sure she is just eager to get back to work," Sylia added in, making both heads turn quickly.  
  
For his part, the doctor was silent this time, but Priss could see both sympathy and understanding in her leader's face. Course, she would never say she understood. Hell Priss herself wouldn't do that. But it was there all the same, even if you had to know her to read it. Priss smiled quietly and nodded. "Damn straight." She walked calmly out the door and into the hallway.  
  
Sylia, however did not follow right away. She watched the doctor a moment longer, as if unsure if she should be amused or sympathetic to his confusion at the moment. "Thank you, doctor." And without another word, she left the room as well, the doctor now really having no idea what to think.  
  
* * *  
  
Linna looked to the paper in her hand then back to the building in front of her. The engine of the bus hummed now a little in the distance. She had not taken her van, but then that was at the request of Sylia. It was best not to give anyone who might be watching another way to identify where she might be. She may have wanted to drive so that if things went wrong, she might have a better chance of getting out of there, but she could not argue with her leader's reasoning.  
  
Almost nervously, she tapped the pin on her shirt. It was a small memorabilia pin that was meant to be sold at the Vision concert that seemed so long ago, yet so life altering. How Sylia had ever gotten a hold of this pin, Linna would never know. But not it was also a switch to turn on a radio for Sylia to listen in on, hidden in her headband and under her hair. "You ready, Sylia?"  
  
The smile was almost visible through the voice, giving a little bit of confidence to Linna. "Of course. I wouldn't have you go in till we were, anyway."  
  
"Alright.... Well, lets get this over-with." Without another word, Linna opened the door and made her way to the staircase. The creaking of many of the steps did not help her keep her mood, as they reminded her of old horror movies she had seen. Still, she knew what she had to do, and she would not be deterred by something so small as a few steps. It didn't take her long to find the floor.  
  
Looking around, she could see the place was run-down. Not that she couldn't tell that from the floor below, but it was just as obvious here. The paint was yellowing with age, and a faint smell of mildew hit her from it. She was only getting used to it now. "Why would anyone want to live in a place like this?" she asked herself aloud, but barely loud enough to be heard from ten feet away. There was no one in the hall to hear it, but the quiet in the hall seemed to demand the same quiet from her.  
  
She jumped as she hear a second voice on the other side, "I don't think he would care from what he has shown to me."  
  
"Priss?" the surprise in Linna's voice was seconded only by her volume, which she promptly covered her mouth because of.  
  
Priss brushed it off. "Yeah, yeah, good to hear from you too."  
  
"What do you mean, has shown you?" The tone had changed again. This time, it was questioning and perhaps with a little dread.  
  
It was Sylia that answered. "Don't worry about it, Linna. He is a boomer, but from what I can gather on him, he has no violent past, and in fact seems to be hiding this fact from the general public. You are perfectly safe in asking a few questions, which is all we need."  
  
Linna was silent for a moment, not sure how to respond to that. Yes, it could be that Sylia only got this information today, so she wouldn't have revealed it to the others. However, it seemed more then odd that Sylia would tell her that over the radio before she entered the building. "Still, Sylia would never send me off to do something dangerous without a warning," Linna thought to herself. She blushed slightly, embarrassed to doubt her leader like that, and responded the best she could. "Alright..." she let her voice trail off, even in low tone she took over the radio.  
  
She made her way to the door of the apartment she had been directed to, doing her best to at least appear calm even as her heart raced in fear. The unknown was here to swallow her up, for good or bad, and she had no way to know which was going to happen. "Alright, I'm at the door." She whispered.  
  
"Good luck, Linna." The voice was Sylia's Priss could only be assumed to either be nodding slightly in the background or looking the other way as if to say "I cant believe you are doing this." Then nothing. Stealing her courage together, Linna knocked on the door.  
  
* * *  
  
Astis sat as he normally did. The lights were off, but his vision was perfect as it fixed on the door. Since Kou had called him, he had been trying to formulate the best way to handle the Knight Sabers, whom he had no doubt would either call or visit. From what Armstrong had told him, he was going to be in danger the moment they arrived, but from what Kou demanded of him, he was going to have to work along side them.  
  
"So they will be my partners for now," he thought to himself, "dangerous partners, but partners none-the-less. But how dangerous will they be and in what way? Kou wouldn't send someone who would want to kill me instantly to work by my side. He has a use for me, so it would not be in his best interest to have me destroyed. On the other hand, Armstrong seemed to consider them enemies of us both. Why? What contacts could he have had with the Knight Sabers since we last spoke?" The thoughts continued, getting to more and more complex questions as time went on. It was interrupted, however, as he heard a knock on the door.  
  
In one fluid motion, he was up and walking toward the door. "Who is it?" he asked just before reaching the door and looking in the peep hole. The sight before him was a young woman with black hair held up in a bandana and worried looking blue eyes.  
  
Her voice confirmed that last part easily. "Linna Yamazaki... I'm here to ask you about the boomer you helped save a friend of mine from," she said almost timidly, as if by saying that she was accepting any trouble coming her way. This at least, brought a little ease to Astis. He would still keep his guard up, but at least if he was dealing with someone who wasn't sure of herself, he was also dealing with someone who was less likely to get the drop on him should she pull anything.   
  
With all the fluid motion being a machine gave him, he unlocked the door and opened it. "Yes, I have been expecting you. Please, come in."  
  
The girl wasn't expecting that as her eyes went wide. "Been expecting me?"  
  
Astis smiled, hoping it would be taken as a friendly one. "Well, at least someone. Kou told me he called on the Knight Sabers to help and to cooperate with them. I figured they would send someone to contact me sooner or later." Linna smiled back nervously. She didn't reply immediately, but nodded and walked inside. Astis shut the door, cutting off the outside world. "So, what may I ask, do they need of me?"  
  
Linna did not respond right away. After a moment, it seemed he question sank in, and she replied. "Well, a few questions to start. It seems you are the only one to fight this boomer and live, so maybe you can give us some information on it?" Astis looked at her for a moment, not answering. He wasn't exactly sure what he was being asked, but he hadn't quite decided to ask yet either. He didn't have to. Linna caught on to the silence. "I was told you faced off with it and managed to do some very serious damage."  
  
"Yes," Astis interrupted. "I suppose your friend then also told you the nature of that weapon?"  
  
Linna nodded. "As much as she could. She was understandably not in the mood to pay much attention. Still, some things could not be ignored."  
  
Astis nodded solemnly. He felt that sounded a little forced... or perhaps rehearsed would be the word he would pick. Still, it didn't sound natural and he was instantly suspicious. Linna was obviously an intelligent girl to catch onto his own uncertainty, but the way she was now dancing around the topic just did not sound like it belonged to her. Before he responded, he scanned the room for radio signals and was not entirely surprised to find one connected to Linna.  
  
* * *  
  
"Linna? LINNA!" Sylia yelled into the microphone, but all she got now was static. Linna's voice, as well as the voice of the boomer talking to her, were now gone, replaced by an ugly buzz of audio white static. Nothing was getting through.  
  
"What happened?" Priss asked. For the moment she was calm, but that would not last if Sylia wasn't careful... and she already knew tact would be the better choice with one of her team stuck in the middle of this.  
  
"I'm not sure... the signal went dead."  
  
"WHAT?!?!?"  
  
"Don't start, Priss. It could be the battery in her set, as well as any number of things."  
  
"That's BULLSHIT! Who knows what that... that THING is going to do to her." Priss turned to the door of the van, intent to kick it open.  
  
"Especially if we do anything drastic."  
  
Priss stopped briefly. "What the hell does that mean?"  
  
"This boomer has already saved your life, so I doubt it has an interest in killing someone without being shown a threat. It also knows Linna is working with the Knight Sabers, whom it has orders to cooperate with. Now that doesn't sound very cooperative to destroy a contact, now does it? Linna will be fine, but it is best we wait for now... rushing in may cause a panic and then Linna may really be in danger."  
  
Priss looked at Sylia. Her anger showed through her eyes, but she couldn't argue with what she was being told, that is of course, unless. "How do you have all this figured out?"  
  
Sylia smiled quietly, "Have a little faith, Priss. You know I have my ways of knowing."  
  
* * *  
  
Linna jumped in slight pain from the static now blaring through her ear-piece, but that was only a small part of the jump. She threw her head-piece off to get away from it, then realized what she did. She looked up at the boomer standing before her, terrified. She was unarmed and if this thing wanted this to be her end, then she was as good as dead.  
  
Astis smiled quietly, though looking elsewhere. "Now we can speak in quiet. I really don't like being eves dropped on." He only now looked at Linna, who was watching him in fear. "Don't worry. Your not in danger. I just wanted to hear from you... not your prompter."  
  
Linna looked like a dear in the headlights of an oncoming car. She had no idea Astis knew about the radio, and now she was alone with a machine she had no idea about. Still, that shocked words from her. "You... you knew?"  
  
Astis nodded and tapped his head. "Of course I did. You didn't sound like you were talking for yourself very well. But now that we are really alone, ask me what you like."  
  
"I'm not sure what you mean..."  
  
Astis nodded. He knew that he would have to get the ball rolling if he was to do as Kou said. Keeping a friendly tone to his voice, he began. "Well I suppose even if you asked me for someone else, you still asked about my arm cannons... perhaps I can explain things for you. It would be easier if I started from the beginning..."  
  
* * *  
  
Nene tapped at the keyboard in front of her, her eyes glued to the screen in front. After looking at the results a moment, she hit a few more and investigated what passed at the moment as an acceptably promising path to follow. However, as with the past several paths she tried, this one two lead to a dead end. "GRRR!" she managed to growl, frustrated. "Why is there no trace of whoever killed Dr. Yoshida? No camera link-ups, no audio, no time frame for when the doors to the lab opened and shut... its like no one was there!" With a sigh of complaint, she put her head down and covered her face in her arms. "Why does it have to be so difficult?" she whined. After a moment, she looked back at the screen, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand.  
  
Resolution all over her face, she breathed deep and began speaking to herself. "Ok, so whoever did this has covered their traces. There is nothing left in the computers at Wiz-labs to hack into from here..." as she said this, her voice got quiet and a very large grin spread its way across her face. "Perhaps he left something there though.... Unconnected from the rest." Without another hesitation, she closed off her intrusion programs and brought up a more commonly used one... e-mail.  
  
* * *  
  
The camera in the corner of the room was not close enough to give him a good view of what she was typing, but he didn't need to see to know. Brian knew Nene and the others far too well by now to miss what the young girl was up to. Not that he had a reason to be worried. He was aware of every key and every click Nene had typed at, as well as the results. Still, something now troubled him. She had changed her demeanor entirely between her search for information and bringing up this e-mail she was writing. Had she realized something he had somehow missed?  
  
"Impossible," Brian thought to himself. "Since when do gods miss things that mere mortals pick up on?" He laughed from his realm of the network, sending ripples of minor disturbance down the lines. He watched each letter being pressed, an agonizingly slow process for one who reads time at the speed of a binary pulse. He already knew who it was too, and perhaps that's what disturbed him the most. The message didn't say much, but to send it to her meant this girl may have something. "Still, perhaps I underestimated Ms. Romanova," he mused to himself.  
  
Taking only a small part of his attention away from the girl at the e-mail, he turned to view another camera... this one within the Genom facility. From the perspective, he could see several human-looking boomers waiting to be sent to whatever destiny each had waiting for them. He smiled to himself as he saw the one he was looking for. The blood was cleaned up and it had the synthetic skin back in place, as if it had never been brought here to be refinished, but was just coming off the assembly line. "Still, we have ways to handle threats, don't we?" Brian laughed once more as he supplied orders for Genom freight divisions. 


	13. Regroup

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 13: Regroup  
  
Linna left through the front door. Her expression said about all that could be said about what just happened. On the one hand, she was happy to be alive, knowing full well if Astis had wanted it otherwise, she would never have left that apartment. On the other, she couldn't figure out what drove him to cut her off like that. "Why did he cut me off like that?" she wondered. "Doesn't sound very co-operative to me." She sighed, knowing she may never get a chance to find out. But still, she had a lot of information to share with her friends now.  
  
She wandered into the parking lot. Originally, she was supposed to take the bus back home and they would meet later, but when she left the apartment, radio in hand once more, Sylia immediately told her to meet them here. Apparently something urgent had come up. "Wonder what would be so urgent as to risk blowing our cover like this?"  
  
"What is that fool doing?" Priss asked, more then aggravated. If she had had her way, she and Sylia would have geared up and taken control of the whole situation. But Sylia didn't seem interested in doing that. Still, as angry as she was at Sylia, she understood the purpose Sylia had in waiting. Had they busted in, she knew the kind of weapons Astis had. If they made the wrong move and he considered the three of them hostile, it could have been all over. "Poor Nene would have had to handle everything," she thought, bringing a small smile to her face. She could imagine the little hacker trying desperately to keep up, then just collapsing in the center as if to say "Why me?"  
  
Sylia, on the other hand, smiled like a mother might at a confused child and flipped the lights on and off a few times. That was all the hint Linna needed, and she found her way to the van, an expression on her face that consisted of fear, shock, and happiness all at once. Sylia opened the door and she entered the van. In another moment, they were on their way out of there.  
  
"What happened" Priss asked, for the moment her anger subsided enough to ask. But the anger surfaced again as she continued. "What the hell happened in there?"  
  
"He… he wanted to talk alone…" Linna replied, her voice showing her uncertainties in all of this.  
  
"You mean he didn't want you to know what questions to ask." Linna thought about that. Yes, it was possible, but she somehow had to question if that was the case. Priss caught on to her expression. "Well what else could it be? He IS a boomer after all. Its not like he would consider privacy for the sake of privacy!" she added, exasperated that any other conclusion could be drawn.  
  
Sylia listened in as she drove home. She couldn't help but consider what was being said. "Well, if he was told to make sure she was alone, he certainly would have done that… but it took to long for him to notice. He would have been watching for that too," her thoughts went on to say. "But then, maybe Kou just wanted us to come up so he would have another chance to get our Identities. Can't quite trust him to play by any peticular rules." With a casual glance to the back mirror, she saw the expression on Linna's face as Priss tried to beat it into her that there was no way that boomer just 'wanted' privacy to talk. The expression was far from convinced of this. "But Linna seems so sure the boomer acted on his own. She was the only one who was there… could she be right? But how? A boomer may have intelligence, but it is limited, and normally could not think of such subtle details on it's own…" Her mind went over a boomer that they had dealt with before… one that would have been human enough to do that… "but Adama is dead, and Priss herself has the AI program locked up somewhere. Besides he was the only one of his kind… wasn't he?"  
  
* * *  
  
Astis watched the Silky Doll van drive away. He had been watching from security cameras as Linna stepped inside it, and now he watched it roll by from the shadows just inside the main door to his apartment complex. "I wish I didn't have to do this," he sighed to himself. "But Kou gave me the order to find out all I can about them… and maybe Armstrong will be able to help me out if I can too." He shook his head, trying to muster his determination, and with a speed much faster then a human should ever be able to run, he took off after the van, making a point to keep far enough away that a human wouldn't suspect they were being followed.  
  
* * *  
  
Nene paced outside the Silky Doll like she was afraid hell itself would take someone she cared away, and there was literally nothing she could do about it. She really had no other way to look at it either. She knew what Linna was off doing, and knew just how dangerous it was, no matter how sure Sylia had seemed the night before. She also knew that they were running late, which in any other situation would be annoying. Right now, it was downright scary. "Why did I not even speak out against this idea?" she whined under her breath and wishing now she had made a scene. "To meet with only one like that was a bad idea. Scare everyone or not, we should have just busted in fully geared and…" Her argument with no one in peticular was interrupted by a loud horn which nearly gave her a heart attack. As soon as she looked up to see Linna's slightly evilly smiling face next to Sylia's in the front of the van driving by to the back, she forgot her whole argument. Her only annoyance now was that it was more then likely Linna that had hit the horn, and done it solely to scare her. Still, that was minor as long as her friend was back and not a blood smear on the wall. She ran to the back to greet them as soon as she could.  
  
* * *  
  
Sylia opened the door of the van and stepped out. Her calm expression broke into a soft smile as she saw Nene running for them. It was Linna though that greeted her. "Shocked to see me, huh?" she teased, making Nene turn bright red.  
  
"I KNEW you did that on purpose!" Nene fumed, but it was only momentary. "I was afraid we were going to be one Saber short!"  
  
"For a moment, Astis had me convinced you were," came the solemn answer. The other three could tell she would not forget that moment when Astis jammed the signal any time soon.  
  
"Let's save the shop talk for upstairs please," Sylia commented. "This isn't the kind of thing any passers-by on the street should be listening in on." With a nod from both, Linna and Nene both went silent. Sylia smiled gently. "Come on," she spoke with a comfort in her voice as she unlocked the door. "We can discuss this over tea."  
  
* * *  
  
Astis watched as the van pulled into the private parking lot. He shook his head, knowing this could get a lot more complex very fast. Still, this was something in and of itself. He now knew where Linna and her friends went. He couldn't be sure they were the Knight Sabers themselves, but he was certain they were her contacts to them. "Otherwise they wouldn't have a reason to listen in like that… or her consent to plant a bug on her like that," he reasoned. He approached the building and looked in the main door. Inside the laungerei store, he found no one at all. It was closed for the day. "Thought so," he added to himself, "Guess I will have to wait." He may be a boomer, but Astis knew his skill was not meant to be breaking into electronic securities. If this was where the Knight Sabers themselves were, to try would be to be caught without a prayer… and maybe to get killed in the process by hardware burning systems.  
  
With a sigh, Astis strolled around the building, looking for another way in, but found none that he could open. "Guess I have to stake the place out.," he said under his breath. The he began searching for a place he could keep hidden and watch for any changes in the building, something he was far better at.  
  
* * *  
  
Sylia was the last to sit down at the table. The others were all silent at that moment, though Sylia had heard a low spoken but unmistakable "shut up" from Priss before she followed them into the living room. Who she was talking to or why she couldn't say.  
  
"Sylia, what's going on?" Nene asked, not more then five seconds after Sylia had sat down. Her voice was filled with questioning dread, as she knew she needed to know, but was afraid of the answer.  
  
Sylia closed her eyes and took a breath, clearing her mind to the matters at hand. After a second, she responded. "I'm not sure what's going on yet, Nene," she said as evenly as anyone could. "Linna's meeting with Astis took an unexpected turn."  
  
"Yeah, and could have gotten her killed," Priss added under her breath.  
  
Sylia glanced at Priss, a little stung that even now, her friend and fellow Saber didn't trust her judgement, but there was nothing more to say for it. She looked back to Nene, greeting her wide shocked eyes with a gentle smile. "He was obviously a more advanced boomer then anyone could foresee, but Linna was safe so long as we acted reasonably. He was under orders to help us out, after all."  
  
Nene nodded slowly. Unlike Priss, she never really doubted Sylia's judgement in these things. Still, the idea of her friend forced to handle a boomer alone like that didn't sit well with her. She glanced to Linna with a sympathetic look and was met with an understanding one, if not a little shaken.  
  
Sylia spoke up once more. "By the way, Nene. This meeting was originally going to happen tomorrow… you said you found something?"  
  
Nene's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah! Two things, actually. For one, our main suspect is dead."  
  
Priss groaned. "You called us aside for that? The news broadcast that this morning. We ALL could have known this!"  
  
"Dr. Yoshida is dead?" Linna echoed.  
  
"YES! He's DEAD!" Priss belted out. "We now have NO leads what-so-ever!"  
  
"Well, I wouldn't say that," Nene added teasingly. "But we may have to go on site to find more."  
  
"What do you mean?" Priss stopped fuming a moment to ask.  
  
Sylia said nothing, but her eyes hinted at the curiosity to what Nene was going to say. "There may be a system or two that are not hooked up to the outside world in there. There may be something at the Wiz-Labs worth looking into," she explained.  
  
"Why the Wiz-Labs?" Linna inquired.  
  
Nene blinked at Linna as Priss' jaw dropped. "You don't know? That's where they found him." Nene answered after a few moments of awkward silence.  
  
Linna blinked. "Could there be a lead to who killed him there?"  
  
"I doubt it," Priss countered.  
  
"But there is merit to going anyway." Everyone stopped talking and turned as their leader spoke. "Dr. Yoshida was not an idiot, no matter how crazy he may have been. He must have understood what he was making."  
  
"So your sure it was him?" Priss asked.  
  
"You're the one who threw the phone at the TV when you saw the news report," Sylia returned, making Priss go several shades of red. "But I would say that since he died so soon afterwards, he could also have been a target."  
  
After a moment of contemplation from everyone, it was Nene who spoke up. "But wait a sec. Didn't his release time suggest that he could have built the boomer with a lab and the right parts? And also, the way the release came up, someone with enough power to supply both could well have done it?"  
  
Priss huffed a light but sadistic laugh, "So your saying he pissed off whoever let him out, right?"  
  
"It's possible," Linna added.  
  
"Or he could have simply outlived his usefulness," Sylia added. Her tone was darker then normal, as if she was playing the role of whoever let out Dr. Yoshida in the first place. She shook her head, clearing it of that mess for now, and looked out at her team with dead seriousness. "In any case, Nene is right. We need to look into the Wiz-Labs. More then likely, since it was a research lab before anything else, there are computers cut off from the outside world to use with delicate information. We should look through them for anything interesting."  
  
"Assuming any still stand," Priss added, still in foul mood.  
  
"I somehow don't doubt it," Sylia thought. The thought of going back to those labs was not a pleasant one for her, and she wasn't sure she wanted to see what was in those computers. But, there really were no other leads at the moment, so her hand was forced. Forcing these thoughts away a moment, she looked up to Linna. "Now that our next actions are settled, would you mind telling us what you found out, Linna?"  
  
Linna nodded and took a deep breath. "Alright… While we were cut off, he explained his background to me, and where he got the weapons built into his arm. He didn't have much else to say… he only saw the boomer we are hunting that one time."  
  
"Still, anything he told us may be useful… please continue," Sylia added calmly.  
  
Again with a nod, Linna did so… her voice remained slightly uncertain, but she had as much faith in her leader as anyone, so she would not disappoint her and hold back now. "Well, Astis is a military boomer. He escaped them a little ways back, and he doesn't doubt that they would do anything to get him back."  
  
"Because of his arm, right?" Priss asked, her head now resting on her elbow as she looked away like she could predict everything Linna was going to say.  
  
Linna shook her head slightly. "Not entirely… his AI is steps ahead of any other boomer out there."  
  
"What do you mean?" Nene asked.  
  
Linna paused a moment, unsure how to continue. "He is almost on a human level."  
  
Sylia looked at Linna shocked. Could Astis' AI be Adama? She shook her head at the thought. That AI chip had been left in Priss' hands, and there was no way in hell anyone was getting a hold of it. Still, there had to be a reason for that.  
  
Priss replied to the most obvious one. "That's bullshit and you know it, Linna. There have only been two boomers with intelligence that high, and both of them are dead."  
  
"Well that's what he told me, and he was smart enough to figure out that I was in radio contact," Linna protested.  
  
"And that takes more then a good eye with a boomers senses how?" returned Priss, visibly annoyed to be arguing what she knew was pure crap.  
  
Sylia didn't let the argument get any farther. "While an interesting debate, our time would be better used getting the rest of the story. Would you continue, Linna?"  
  
Linna nodded, glad for the break in the fight. When push came to shove, she could hold her own arguing with Priss, but generally she didn't want to. "Well, Astis told me that he came to understand he was made to destroy. He decided for himself it was wrong to live just for that, but since they had him, he couldn't really do much about it. That was when he was found what he thinks of as a friend," this last part left her face confused, as if she wasn't exactly sure how to say what she needed to.  
  
"What do you mean by a friend?" Priss asked rather pointedly. Just like Linna had learned to stand for herself against Priss in an argument, Priss had learned these expressions could often be a hint of something.  
  
"Well, this friend… it wasn't someone physical at all… it was something that reached out to him through his modem,"  
  
Dead silence followed for a good thirty seconds. Priss looked at Linna like she was spinning the world's least believable story. Sylia, on the other hand, for a split second let her eyes reveal shock and alarm at this, but quickly covered herself and became the calm and cool leader that they all knew so well. Nene's jaw just dropped. "No way…" she muttered to herself.  
  
"Was he sure that this thing wasn't just someone who knew about him out there on a computer?" Sylia asked.  
  
Linna nodded, though her uncertainty showed in her expression. "He seemed pretty sure. He said it's name was Armstrong and that it decided boomers shouldn't have humans as masters, especially one as mentally equipped as him. It was Armstrong that got him in touch with the Hou Bang…"  
  
"…and why he is working with us on Kou's behalf now…" Sylia finished the comment. Her mind was clicking immediately, like she was just handed a major part of the puzzle. "We need to find out who this Armstrong is. It may prove to be nothing at all, but it may also turn out to be vital."  
  
Nene sighed. "Can't it wait till later? The chief gets suspicious if you spend too much time on the main computers like that."  
  
Sylia considered this. "Maybe, but we wont know for certain till we look into the labs. If that fails us, what we find on Armstrong could well be the only lead we have."  
  
"Oh, alright."  
  
"In any case, its time to suit up. The sooner we go, the sooner we will find out," Sylia continued. "And I have a bad feeling time is against us," she added to herself.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Astis watched from across the street as the garage opened up from the back of the Silky Doll. He would have done nothing more then try to conceal himself that much better had he not watched the same van that had picked Linna up now pulling out. "So they are on the move," he thought. "Guess I better follow."  
  
For a split second, he considered changing his plans, and rather then follow and observe, use this chance to get into their base of opporations with no one else there. He quickly negated that idea, however. His business was to report what he observed, but to work with them, not spy on them. "I can do that later if and when I have to," he added to this argument. For the duration of the trip, he was determined to follow them, and even had his distance from the van picked out.  
  
* * *  
  
"Dreams of Mine" played in the background of the cab of the truck as it pulled into a cargo dock on the Genom Warehouse. The man behind the wheel didn't peticularly fond of the song, or many other songs from America for that matter. Still, he had enjoyed the song playing just before, and now he was where he had to be. He was going to turn the truck off in a moment, so he wasn't about to worry about what was on right now.  
  
With a quick click of the keys, the truck was off. In a few more motions practiced so many times, the driver was out of the truck. He smiled quietly to himself. "Well, time to announce myself," he spoke out loud, but more to himself. "Damn this is going to be a sweet job. And they say Genom isn't generous," he continued in a patronizing tone. His step seemed light as he made his way to the back door. He hit the bell and waited a moment, but his whistling never stopped. After a short time, a security guard arrived and ushered him inside. Soon he would be on the road again, with a custom delivery in his truck and a very substantial check in the mail.  
  
* * *  
  
The van came to a stop with Sylia's controlled breaking; a smooth contact. Once the emergency breaks were in place, she climbed into the back with the others. They were already suited and ready, with the exception of Nene who opted to wait to put her helmet on. Sylia glanced around, glad she didn't have to be here alone. She had many memories of the labs they were about to enter, and none of them very good. She began to strip down and replace her day clothes with the hard suite that would serve as better senses for investigation as well as protection should they have been expected.  
  
While she did this, Linna sat to the side, waiting. Her helmet didn't let it show, but she was tense. This had been a murder scene, and she was still a little shaken at what happened when she had interviewed Astis. She jumped at the hand on her shoulder, but looking revealed it was only Nene, who was now sitting next to her with a concerned look on her face. "You ok, Linna? You haven't been yourself tonight."  
  
"Oh… I'm fine… just…" she sighed, not able to explain this, not even really to herself. She was safe now, so why was she so shaken still?  
  
Nene smiled reassuringly. "We're all here, Linna. It will be ok."  
  
Linna only smiled back with a slight nod, for the moment just glad to be among friends and in her armor once more.  
  
"We all ready?" It was Sylia who spoke next. She was now finishing clicking herself into her suit. Her helmet was within arm's reach.  
  
"About time," Priss snapped, facing Sylia from her own armor. She had been pacing at the door, eager to get moving. "Could have died of old age waiting for you!"  
  
Sylia couldn't help but smirk as she put her helmet on. Nene also took her que and placed her own on as well. "Enough, Priss. Its time to move out." She opened the side panel of the van. Before them were now the ruins of the once proud Wiz-Labs. Stealing herself from her own doubts, Sylia stepped out and lead the expedition. 


	14. Name

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 14: Name  
  
The truck slowed to a stop in front of the ADP parking garage, just as the guard in front of it had instructed. The guard was walking toward the driver window the moment it stopped moving, the same moment it was rolling down. "What'cha got here, Sir?" the guard asked.  
  
"Just a delivery for you boys," the driver replied. He had known he was going to be questioned, but especially for what he was being paid for this delivery, he could deal with that.  
  
"May I see you paper's Sir?" The guard remained very official, despite the driver's laidbackness of the situation.  
  
"Of course, officer," came the much more rigid reply. Aware that the guard probably had a gun aimed at him already, but not terrifically concerned, he opened his glove compartment and retrieved several documents. In the same fluid motion, he shut the compartment again as he handed them over the guard outside his window. "Here ya go."  
  
He watched as the guard thumbed through the various document, aware of how ridiculous it was to need this much paper work to deliver something that was apparently ordered here, but he also knew the ADP knew what they were doing. If they decided they needed this much work, then they would have it. He got no further in this thought before the guard handed him his papers back. "It all looks in order, Sir. Mind if I have a look inside?"  
  
"Of course not."  
  
With a grunt, the officer turned and walked to the trailer. Once the door was open, he peered into the back to find a few crates. Not quite satisfied, he stepped within, his flashlight already moving around. The smaller crates were already open and inside there was nothing more significant then a few burned out cigarettes and used up six-pack of chocolate drink. There was one bigger one, though. This one was sealed and looked big enough to fit a man inside. He looked at the label, comparing it to the authorization numbers he had made a point to burn into his mind from the documents he had been handed. They matched perfectly. But why send something this big to forensics? A very disgusting idea came to his mind, and he stiffened.  
  
In the next minute, he was back at his booth and making a call to forensics. "Hello? This is Mr. Bently on the vehicle enterence level, were you expecting a shipment today? Code 043X672D2CH? Oh, ok, then. Just making sure, you know how it is. Yes, its here and it will be sent up to you as soon as possible. Bye!" He hung up the phone and returned to the driver's window.  
  
"Is… anything wrong?" the driver asked, a little alarmed at the mannerisms of the guard.  
  
"No, Sir. Just made sure of it. You're cleared to make your delivery. Just follow the signs."  
  
"Thank you." The driver rolled up his window again as he watched the guard nod and return to his booth. "Well that was different. Wonder what's back there…"  
  
* * *  
  
Sylia stopped right in front of what was once the main enterance of the building, putting an arm out as a signal for the others to follow her lead. "Before we go inside, there are two points to bring up. First, this place is a lot bigger then it looks. There are several floors downward as well as up, so we will have to split up."  
  
"Alright, so you'll take Nene and I'll take, Linna, right?" Priss returned rather board. "Come on, Linna. The sooner we get in there, the sooner we might know who the hell's ass to kick."  
  
Sylia shook her head. "No Priss. The teams will be you and me as one team. Linna and Nene will be the other."  
  
Priss looked at Sylia. "What? Nene won't be much help to Linna if they get into trouble, you know."  
  
"Excuse me?!?!? I'll have you know, miss anger-management-case, that I can fight right along side with anyone and help out!" Nene put her hands on her waist, her glare practically visible through the helmet.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, Nene."  
  
"Please, both of you…" It was Sylia who spoke this time. Her tone of voice, usually confident, had taken an alarming turn of uncertainty. "Lets just go."  
  
After a moment of silence, it was Priss who finally caved. "Yeah, ok. Linna, take good care of the cyberpunk."  
  
"And as for the second point, nobody let your guards down. I doubt we will run into anything, but you can not be too sure."  
  
"Of course, Sylia. Me and Linna here will always be on our guard, and ready to eliminate any boomer who gets in our way!" Nene posed in heroic stances as she spoke.  
  
Despite herself, Sylia couldn't help but smile at her teammate's antics. She nodded her approval. "You two will cover the upper floors. Priss and I will take the below ground levels. Good luck, you two."  
  
"You too, Sylia," Linna piped in, her voice a little lower.  
  
Accepting with a nod, Sylia turned and began to stride into the building, Priss walking resolutely to her left. Linna didn't move right away. Her mind was on how hard this had to be for Sylia. After all, her father had died here. All thoughts of this kind were gone in a split second, though as Nene clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Come, on, Linna! Lets go!" she spoke cheerfully.  
  
With a nod, Linna stepped after her. "Alright, Nene. Lead the way."  
  
* * *  
  
As the red Knight Saber strolled confidently inside, Astis watched the green one follow her. He stepped out slowly from his place in a nearby wreck of a building, trying to figure out what he had just scene. He had turned on his internal radio fairly certain that a legend like the Knight Sabers would have scrambled their signals so no one could listen in, yet to his delight, he had been wrong. He heard the one who was their leader split up the team and send each part on their way. Yet, this troubled him. It was her and her alone he had heard. Everyone else came through as nothing more then radio static. Why could he hear her radio?  
  
A thought made his eyes widen. "Could she have known? Could she have known I was here watching?" He stepped toward the building, "If she knew she was being followed, why didn't she confront? Something isn't right here, not at all."  
  
Yet this wasn't the only thing to bother him about what he had just witnessed. Of the four women there, he had the first names of three of them: Priss, Nene, and Linna. Nene meant nothing to him. However, Priss and Linna were both names very familiar to him. The young woman in the bandana who had interviewed him for the Knight Sabers had introduced herself as Linna Yamazaki. "Could she be the same one? Could that scared young girl been in fact one of the Knight Sabers? But how? How could such a creature be the destroyer Armstrong makes her out to be?"  
  
And then there was the other name: Priss. The woman who had sung with Vision and later he had saved in the hospital was named Priscilla Asagiri. Linna had told him during the interview that they were friends. "If this is the same Linna, could this also be the same Priss?" He shook his head. "There's just no way," he concluded to himself, but he knew he was lying. He could not deny the evidence before him and though it wasn't impossible for these to be two completely different people, the odds of it were hardly worth considering.  
  
"I have to find out," Astis spoke out loud to himself as he broke into a run. "Damn anything I have been told by anyone, I have to find out for myself just who these four vigilantes really are!"  
  
* * *  
  
Without the lights, any building would seem devoid of life, but as Linna looked from one wall to the next, she felt the stillness and weight of the air through her helmet, as if the building's death could crush the life out of her too. Looking out the window didn't help, either. They were now on the third floor: just high enough for the view to remind her how truly descimated the area was with the view, but too low to be anywhere near the end of their search.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by a hand on her shoulder and a familiar voice speaking. "Linna? Are you ok?"  
  
Linna nodded. "Yeah, just… this place gives me the creeps, I guess," she answered. After a moment, she added, "As well as everything else as of late."  
  
Nene nodded. "I know what you mean," she added solemnly. Her tone of voice quickly turned to concern. "When you… you were with that… that machine… he didn't hurt you, did he?"  
  
Linna shook her head, a vague smile on her face. "Actually, he was what a gentleman should be. But that has been bugging me too." She turned to look at Nene. "He seemed so… human. It was hard to keep in mind I was dealing with a boomer."  
  
"But, how can that be?"  
  
"That's why it bothers me."  
  
Silence took over for a moment or two before Nene spoke up again. "Hey, lets make a point to find out when we are done here. But for now, we need to know about the boomer we are hunting."  
  
Linna nodded, a sense of relief rolling over her. "Alright. And Nene? Thanks for listening."  
  
"What are friends for? Well besides to beat the crap out of the boomers trying to kill you." Linna could practically see the grin from behind Nene's faceplate. Without another word, they moved on to continue their search.  
  
* * *  
  
Sylia moved along methodically looking through each part of the building, silently cursing the media for not trying to get into the building like they would have should this have happened anywhere else. If she could have seen the room on the TV before they went, they wouldn't have to look everywhere. Still, she chose going downward… it just did not seem likely that they would find what they were looking for in one of the above floor rooms.  
  
  
  
Priss, on the other hand, really didn't care where she was going. She just wanted to get in, find the lab the demented freak was using this time, and get whatever leads it might have. However, she could never do this on her own. Sylia was the one more used to this techno-stuff, and she knew if she rushed ahead, she might miss something. "Hmm, one tech expert on each team, maybe you do know what your doing…" she mused to herself.  
  
Sylia ignored this for the time being. She did her best to ignore a lot of things, including childhood memories this place dredged up. She couldn't let herself mull in a past that for now would do no more then haunt her. Still, she could feel the memories in the back of her mind, and it took a lot to keep them from her active mind. All she could do was focus ahead with all of her will and to her methodical search of each lab. It was this dedication that left her oblivious to alert displayed in a corner of her heads-up display.  
  
Priss, not forcing the same level of concentration, froze a moment as she saw the same warning on her display. The replay of enhanced audio told her all she needed to know… faint footsteps coming in their direction. "Sylia! We've got company!" she announced, her spike shooters already swinging around to ready position. "Sylia? Come on!"  
  
Sylia blinked, this last cry from her companion drawing her out of her morbid state of studying to keep her memories at bay: at last she saw the warning Priss had in her own display. It didn't take her as long to realize why as it did to see it in the first place. "Hold on, Priss."  
  
"Like hell I am! Whoever is coming BETTER have a good reason for following us here!"  
  
"He will tell us. I'm sure of that."  
  
"And how can YOU be so sure?!?"  
  
"Because I know who it is."  
  
Priss was silent for a moment. "WHAT?!?!?"  
  
Sylia nodded. "Don't have time to explain. He will be here too soon. Holster those things now," she continued, "I don't want to scare him away before we have a chance to talk."  
  
* * *  
  
Astis slowed his pace. With heat-vision active, he could tell the footprints he had been following were getting warmer… he was getting closer. "More importantly," he thought to himself, "they are slowing down." Part of him wanted to forget all this and go back to his little apartment and attempt to belong among humanity again, but he knew it was possible till this was over. He still owed the Hou Bang for his freedom, locking him into this situation.  
  
But still, he couldn't help but wonder… what if he was right about the Knight Sabers? If this Priss was indeed the same one, then perhaps she would hesitate to kill since she owed him her life, but that was one of many questions on his mind. "What about the two Linnas being the same one? She wasn't anyone's enemy, so why would Armstrong tell me she was?" Still, that depended on the if, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. "It would be one hell of a coincidence if the Knight Sabers had a member named Linna as well as a different contact also named Linna… too much of a coincidence."  
  
He stopped letting his mind wander as he saw the two Sabers he had been chasing standing in the corridor ahead: the silver and blue ones. The silver one stood in the center silently while the blue was behind and a little to the side. She also had a hand poised, as if to say if Astis did anything funny, he would regret it fast.  
  
He watched them a moment, but they didn't move in on him. If anything, it seemed they were waiting for him. "Astis?!?!? YOU'RE the one following us?" a very familiar voice blurted out over his radio system.  
  
"Of course he is, Priss," came the voice of the leader through the same channel. "He has been following us since we left his apartment," the silver Saber turned her head to face Astis, "haven't you?"  
  
Astis couldn't speak. He had been right and this was the same Priss. The leader had also known he was following and done nothing about it. If she wanted, she could have had the team attack as soon as they were close to the building. No one would have cared about an old relic that was falling apart anyway, crime scene or no. So why did she wait to act at all till now, when she only had half of her team?  
  
"And you never told us?!?" Priss asked, rather angered.  
  
Sylia shook her head. "It doesn't matter."  
  
"The hell it doesn't!"  
  
Sylia stepped away from her fuming partner and toward Astis. "Well, now. I suppose we both have a great deal of questions for each other."  
  
"Yes, but I must insist on the first one: The Linna you spoke of, is she the same one you sent to talk to me before?"  
  
"Fair question, but I will leave it to her to answer. What I want to know is why you were following us. Rather odd behavior for a boomer to take."  
  
Astis froze. He couldn't let them know about Armstrong, not when he apparently was an enemy of theirs. Still, he had to come up with something.  
  
"Your under orders to co-operate, Astis. I suggest you tell me what drove you to follow us like this!" Sylia's order was firm, made all the more so as two large guns flipped around Priss' shoulders, her hands slipping into the trigger positions.  
  
Astis sighed, knowing from what Armstrong had told him that if they decided to attack, he would have no chance, especially since he didn't know where the other two were. "Very well, a friend of mine warned me about you. Told me you were dangerous to our kind."  
  
* * *  
  
Nene and Linna continued their search, but neither concentrated fully on the task, not since the conversation several stories below had begun. "Dangerous to their kind? How dare he!" Nene huffed. "Those ones were dangerous to our kind first!"  
  
"Why would he say that?" Linna asked herself as much as her indignant friend.  
  
"Maybe he doesn't know what he's talking about."  
  
"Shhh!" Linna put a hand up to further hush Nene. "I may have to ask him." As she spoke, she gave her hardsuit the command to open her communication signal beyond the hardsuits.  
  
* * *  
  
"A friend told you to spy on us?" Priss gasped.  
  
"Our kind?" Sylia echoed, her voice shaky. She had only heard one person ever speak like that before, and he had been talking to her. He had called both himself and her better than humans, and wished to destroy them all for the next wave of beings to control this planet: for boomers to do it all. Still, he was dead, wasn't he? She had destroyed him herself shortly before going to Germany. She turned her attention on Astis again. "Astis, who is this friend of yours?" Sylia watched him intently, but there was no response from the boomer, only a confused blink, as if the uncertainty she could not keep from her voice had shocked him from any reasonable response. "Please… I need to know his name. Who is this friend?" This time, her tone was composed as always.  
  
"I cant turn on a friend like that," Astis finally replied, almost apologetically. "He seemed wary of you."  
  
"STOW it, metalhead!" Priss bellowed. "You were told to co-operate with us, so start!"  
  
"But my friend wouldn't have anything to do with this."  
  
"Maybe not, but I need to be sure," Sylia responded.  
  
"What's wrong, Sylia?" Linna asked over the radio.  
  
"Probably nothing, but I cant take the chance…" Sylia responded. "Not if it could be him," she finished in her thoughts.  
  
"Ms. Yamazaki… so you are here," Astis responded. "You are one of the Knight Sabers… but, how could you be?"  
  
Linna only responded after a moment. "I don't understand what you mean."  
  
"How can you be one of our worst enemies? You're just not the kind." He went silent a moment, contemplating this. He would have known if she was acting back when they first met, but what he had seen was not anger or disgust. What he had seen was fear at first. Though she remained shaken through the whole confrontation, he had also glimpsed something else… compassion, perhaps. Finally, he spoke again, his voice clear, but unable to keep out the disbelief. "Why would he lie to me about you? This whole evening has gone against everything he said about you all."  
  
"No one could tell you that without knowing who it was," Sylia prodded. She didn't hide the sympathy in her voice, but she wasn't about to let the opportunity slip away.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I just can't do that. He is the reason I'm free in the first place."  
  
"The hell you cant," Priss started.  
  
"Priss, please," Linna interrupted almost gently.  
  
"If he isn't helping, he's as much the problem as anything!"  
  
"Priss!" Sylia prompted, her tone actually silencing the rocker.   
  
"Astis," Linna piped in, knowing she may not get another chance with the temper of her friend there directly, "We wont stop you from asking him, but before you go, I have a question for you myself."  
  
"What would that be, Ms. Yamazaki?"  
  
"Do you trust me?"  
  
Astis was silent a moment. "Why does that matter?"  
  
"Please, just answer me."  
  
Astis considered a moment what he would say. Finally he nodded, though he knew Linna could not see it from several stories above. "Yes. After meeting you in person, I trust you."  
  
"The please, let Sylia know who your friend is. I know her, and she wouldn't hurt anyone that wasn't absolutely necessary. She just wants to be thorough, that's all.  
  
Astis froze a moment. Linna put her full trust in Sylia, but could he also do the same. "Can you give me your word, that if he has nothing to do with this, he wont be harmed in any way?" This time, the question was of Sylia as much as of Linna.  
  
"Yes. Believe it or not, we're not as evil as your friend made us out to be," Sylia replied, feeling the need to add that last part.  
  
Astis nodded. "I will hold you to your word on Ms. Yamazaki's behalf."  
  
"Very well."  
  
"His name is Armstrong."  
  
"Hmm, why does that name sound familiar?" piped in Nene.  
  
"That will be your question to answer when we get back," Sylia responded. She then turned to Astis. "Thank you, Astis."  
  
"Why does this mean so much to you?"  
  
"A long story that I still pray is over."  
  
"Can you explain?"  
  
Sylia stopped a moment. Not even her team mates knew the whole story between her and the person they knew once as Mason, and then again as Largo. None of them had asked, so she didn't think to tell them. Still, Astis deserved some kind of explanation for coming clean. "Do you know of a boomer named Largo?"  
  
Astis shook his head.  
  
"He has cost us a lot, personally and physically. He is insane and sees us as the main thing from starting a new world. I just need to be sure he isn't coming back this time." Her tone was depressed, as if this hope seemed far away in her mind.  
  
"I see," Astis managed to speak out.  
  
"While its nice to reminess, I suggest we get back our search!" Priss interrupted. "That killing machine out there wont catch itself!"  
  
"Your right, sorry," Sylia responded. She turned to Astis. "Thank you again, but you probably best get back home now, both to ask your friend, and to talk to Kou."  
  
Astis nodded, half glad for an excuse to get out of this forsaken place, and half needing to get the closure of talking to Armstrong himself about this. "Very well, I will contact you later, through our mutual friend."  
  
"Farewell."  
  
"Bye-bye!" Nene piped in, her tone suggesting of a school girl with arms flailing everywhere excitedly.  
  
"Bye, Astis," Linna added, more sobered then her friend, but still meaning well.  
  
"Till then," was all Astis said before he turned around and walked back up to the stairway, moving back toward the city, and his own residence.  
  
* * *  
  
Through eyes in the form of video cameras and ears in the form of nearby radio receivers, Brian had watched and listened to the conversation that had just taken place. "So you would give your friend's name to the enemy, Astis? That's a pity. I expected more loyalty for someone that saved you from the oppression of their kind then that." He released a virtual sigh that might have been noticed by some as a small waver in some obscure internet radio station. "Still, I suppose that was unavoidable. Your too human to see around the emotions and into what they stand for."  
  
He considered the entire conversation, replaying it for himself. Had he had a face, a quiet smile would have crept across it. "And besides, if Sylia knows, then it will make my task that much more enjoyable." 


	15. Insertion

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 15: Insertion  
  
"Hey, Sylia," Priss called out, "think this is the place?" She was pointing toward a door that had been taped off, but showed little more care then that. It was as if the people who were interested abruptly lost such interests.  
  
Sylia did not respond immediately. She approached and looked inside. There was no doubting Priss had found what they had come looking for: the ground still even had the pool of blood, now dried to be a permanent fixture of the room. She nodded. "I don't see how it couldn't be," she added audibly. "Linna, Nene! We found the lab. Follow my signal and get down here." She listened till she heard both of her teammate's answers before she grabbed the tape and pulled it down with no effort before stepping inside.  
  
* * *  
  
Nothing happened, at least nothing he was waiting for. He was well aware the truck had stopped and that he had been unloaded. He couldn't tell where he was, but he wasn't worried. Had he been able to, he still would have known better; his destination would most likely be shielded from outside signals, so his own locator system could not reach out either.  
  
Still, what he was waiting for had not happened yet, so he kept all his motor systems on stand-by. Presently, he felt he was moving slowly, probably being pulled down the hall to wherever they would open up the crate. He remained in waiting.  
  
* * *  
  
Before her was a room not entirely unfamiliar to her. She did not remember being here directly, but she did remember calling her father from home, and seeing rooms much like this one behind him on the vid-phone. For that alone, she shivered.  
  
"Sylia..." a familiar voice hissed gently. She froze where she stood, eyes wide. "Sylia... Stingray..." The voice laughed in the same hushed tone as it spoke, but now there seemed to be a direction from whence it came.  
  
She turned to slowly toward the sound. In front of her, the screen which had been previously off was now displaying a blank screen with a black background, but the cursor flashing in the corner gave away its ready status. Then she saw it. "Sylia" was suddenly on the screen. "Come to me, Sylia" followed afterwards.  
  
Unable to look away from the screen, she whispered as much to the owner of the voice and screen as to herself. "It can't be you... I saw you die..." Her voice shook with fear, as she could not bring herself to accept such a man had returned.  
  
The screen prompted back. "You saw what I wanted you too, my dear." That same laughter returned once more, though a little louder.  
  
"Your DEAD!" Sylia yelled. The laughter only got louder and she had to cover her ears as the screen faded back to being off. As she felt a hand on her shoulder, she froze entirely. She turned slowly, half expecting to see those inhuman eyes of a boomer long-dead looking back at her.  
  
* * *  
  
"SYLIA! ANSWER ME!" it was Linna screaming at her, her voice almost breaking with fear for her leader.  
  
"Linna?" came the question finally. Sylia looked around, but nothing had been changed in the room. That hand that had been on her shoulder was Linna's. "I'm sorry," she quickly got up, composing herself once again.  
  
"What was the yell about? Are you ok?"  
  
Sylia nodded. She knew already no one else saw what she did. It was meant for her, and only her, but he had played his hand and revealed himself. "I'm fine, Linna. Thank you." Before anyone could respond and question this, she turned the terminal ahead of her. "I'm going to start looking into this one. Nene?"  
  
"Yes?" Nene responded. Her voice was uncertain, as if she was somehow aware that something had just happened, but she hadn't a clew what or if she might wreck it if she wasn't careful.  
  
"Could you please look through the terminal over there?" she pointed to the metal table with a few parts nearby as well as tools. The terminal was attached. "I have a feeling that's where the boomer was made. Perhaps the professor left us a few notes."  
  
"Yeah! I'm on it!" If she had saluted, it would have finished the picture perfectly. Getting into a computer system was her home territory. She would not let her team down.  
  
* * *  
  
Allen pressed the button on the crate and listened as the motorized door whirred to life. He half watched the door and half tried to not watch his companion. "This is going to sound odd, but I've been looking forward to checking this one out," he blurted, the quiet of the moment going on too long for him.  
  
"Why? It's a homicide. Its not exactly a job that should be a joy," came the reply from the woman close by. She was tall with very dark long hair, and currently had her back turned to him as she prepared what looked like digital-memory extractor.  
  
"Yeah, but from what I've heard in the office, this piece is incredible. To get a peak at it is just unreal!"  
  
The woman replied with a sigh. "Yeah, yeah. If we were having this conversation right after the quake, I could understand. But these things are all over the place. Besides what it may have seen, what could there be to it?" She turned to face Allen, a slight irritation in her voice, "Can we just get this over with?"  
  
Allen nodded and, despite the request, allowed himself a peak into the box. Immediately, he whistled. "Man, this one is a real masterpiece, Suvan," he commented, admiration in his voice.  
  
"Well, it didn't help the good doctor any, did it?" Suvan replied, not turning around.  
  
With a sigh, the man gave up. "I suppose not. Say, where's Able? This guy must weigh a ton!"  
  
"You called, Sir?" came a synthesized voice that the crated boomer instantly recognized as another boomer.  
  
"There you are! I need you to get this boomer out of the crate."  
  
"Very well, Sir," came the reply without emotion. The off-grey chassis of a standard ADP guard came into his view as the hulking boomer knelt down and peered inside, his light blue LED eyes glowing into the interior. Able didn't speak as his hands extended and gripped the boomer within by the shoulders. With no resistance given, he had the boomer within out and dangling within his grip shortly. "Done, Sir."  
  
"Thank you, Able." The man then took the time to investigate the boomer, now hanging limp before him. "Yes, Dr. Yoshida definitely put some effort into you, my friend. It's a pity it didn't save his life."  
  
Only now did Suvan drop her work and turn to face her partner, her deep green eyes carrying a look of shock. "What do you mean, Allen?" She stormed toward him. "He was supposed to be incarcerated still when everything started to going crazy, yet here he was, sprawled in an old abandoned lab. Sounds a bit suspicious, don't you think?"  
  
"Well, yeah, but..."  
  
Suvan crossed her arm over her chest, her eyes going from shock to slight anger. "Allen, I know you don't care about manners all the time, but when you're talking to me, don't talk to my chest."  
  
Allen blushed and tilted his eyes to look up into her growing rage. "Sorry, Suvan... but, please, think about it. Here you have a man whom by all rationality should be in a prison and without so much as a hushed rumor about it, he gets out and starts making boomers on his own spare time. Dr. Yoshida was never powerful enough to do such a thing on his own, so how did it happen? Without him, we lose a lot of evidence for it."  
  
Suvan considered this a moment before sighing and turning away again. "Yeah, well... it doesn't matter anyway. He's dead and there is nothing to do for it." She turned her head to her two companions. "Able, bring the boomer here. We're about ready to begin."  
  
"Yes, Ma'am." was all he said as he began with a steady stride to approach. "Shall I place him in for you?"  
  
"Why thank you," she answered before turning to Allen. "See Allen? Able knows how to be a gentleman. Maybe you should learn from him." Her tone was a teasing one, her eyes revealing her amusement with herself.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Allen replied, not as amused. He muttered something to himself that from where Suvan stood, sounded like he was talking about forms wearing something. Knowing him, she had a good idea what he was talking about, but decided it would be better to ignore it.  
  
She turned back to the reader and watched Able place the inert boomer into the restraints.  
  
"We are ready, Ma'am," he added as a standard confirmation.  
  
"Thank you, Able. You can go now."  
  
"Negative." He approached her.  
  
"Why not? Is everything functioning normally?"  
  
Quicker then she could gasp, Able grabbed her under the shoulder, his other hand grabbing her by the top of the skull and twisting, snapping her neck. He dropped her to the ground. "Perfectly," he replied.  
  
Allen blinked in disbelief. Able was strong enough, sure, but his programming was to protect humans, especially partners in the field, not twist their heads off. He now saw what was really going on: It was not the boomer they were looking into that was in the restraints, but Able. The "artwork" was standing where Suvan was just a few moments ago. "What... what the hell?" He bolted for the door, but it slammed shut before he could get to it, locked from the computer the killer boomer stood at.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I cant let you go, Allen," it spoke hushed. "You have seen me, and are now represent an unacceptable risk." In the next few moments, that risk was silenced for all times.  
  
* * *  
  
Astis didn't bother putting the lights on when he got back to his apartment. When he first moved into this place, he would make a point to do so, even as he knew his eyes wouldn't need them. But back then, he had worried if humans would question why if he didn't. Time had made him lax on the practice as he figured out no one really cared.  
  
Still, his thoughts were pre-occupied with what he had discovered this night: namely that the one person who could not possibly want to kill him on site was one of the Knight Sabers. "But how could she be the enemy? Yet, how could Armstrong lie to me?" he thought, "None of this makes any sense." He closed the door behind himself as the struggle continued within. "There seem to be two possible conclusions: either Armstrong lied, or Linna is a top-caliber actress, but both seem so improbable... and why would their leader willingly let me follow them, and when she had the chance to kill me, let me go?" Still, he hated to accuse the entity whom he owed his freedom to as much as the Hou Bang of lying to him about who to trust. "And even more disturbing, why would he do that? Why would he manipulate me?" In the next moment, he strode to the terminal in his apartment, and plugged himself in, but he only initiated his interface as far as the terminal's controls. "It would be easier to bridge myself directly into the net, but I cant without drawing Armstrong's attention." The words were for his own justification as he felt his mind take the role of the keyboard for the terminal, "and I cant afford to let him see me... not yet." In a moment, he added with more resolution, "I need to know who is telling me the truth first."  
  
* * *  
  
"Come on," Sylia thought to herself, glaring into the screen as if she could force it to display what she was looking for by pure willpower, "You have to be in here somewhere!"  
  
"Sylia? Is everything ok?" The voice was Linna's, and by the sound of it, she still was a little shaken by how Sylia had behaved earlier.  
  
Closing her eyes and breathing deep, Sylia recomposed herself entirely. "Yes, everything is fine. I'm just looking for something that has to be here... the access registry."  
  
Linna blinked. "The what?"  
  
"Access registry. Anytime anyone connects or logs on to the Wiz-labs computers, they were designed to record the connection. Security precautions, should something go wrong." She resumed her typing.  
  
"Ah, I see," came the response with genuine understanding.  
  
Sylia sighed, not letting the fact that Linna remained to watch for a moment distract her. "And any hints of what he might be doing," she added in her thoughts.  
  
"Well this is interesting," piped the familiar voice of Nene from her own terminal. She looked up, as if asking who would care.  
  
"What is?" returned Priss.  
  
"Have a look," Nene pointed to the screen, on which was layout of a boomer. "The dates line up in the time-frame we had figured out. This is Dr. Yoshida's boomer."  
  
"How do you know for sure?" came the skeptical reply.  
  
"Well, I'm as sure as I can be. You see, this peticular system was not connected to the rest of the labs."  
  
"What?"  
  
Nene nodded. "Looks like it was removed relatively recently too. I would guess the doctor was a little paranoid his new 'boss' would steal his designs like the last one did."  
  
"You can't assume he was working for someone, you know," Priss retorted.  
  
"It seems to me there is no way he couldn't have," she glanced at something on the screen that drew her attention instantly. "Been?"  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I... I don't know. The boomer is unique, though. The eyes are custom designed."  
  
"Yeah so? Maybe the doctor wanted his killer to have baby blues..."  
  
"Priss... the design is an internal one." She turned to Sylia. "Sylia? Could we switch places, please? I found the boomer's design, but this really isn't my specialty."  
  
"Not yet, Nene," came the pre-occupied reply. "Download it and we will look at it later."  
  
"Alright," was the reply as she plugged her hardsuit into the terminal, "Got it!"  
  
Sylia nodded before backing away from her own terminal. "Alright. Let's get back to the van. I have something to reveal to you all, but it should be done in private." She let the silence sink in. "Let's move."  
  
* * *  
  
Brian smiled quietly to himself, or at least felt the feelings of such a smile creeping across his consciousness. "This should be much more interesting now that you know, Sylia," she spoke to himself. "Teaching you just how futile, will perhaps be far more fun then sneaking around you. You need to know you can not stop the plans of a god. Nor can you kill a god. Your actions are only delaying the inevitable scheme." He let himself chuckle once more, a small ripple echoing across the net. "You will realize soon, my dear. Then you will come to me..."  
  
He watched calmly as Nene found the plans that Dr. Yoshida had even hid from his own eyes. "Damn you are a nuisance," he uttered, "but that won't last much longer. I have already set it in motion. But for now," he withdrew his attentions from the emptying room and out to the main city again, toward Astis' apartment, "my old friend has a few questions, and I must answer soon."  
  
* * *  
  
"So, Suvan, I know you like this Allen guy, but still... no that will never work. How about... dammit, why the hell am I even doing this?!?!?" Jake uttered under his breath. He had seen her once just across the hall, and instantly decided he should try for her. Still, this was the one place he was easily tongue-tied, so he took the one shot he had at trying to make it work... he made a bet with one of the other officers. "For once, I think I'm in over my head," he commented, but quickly grinned, his imagination racing. "But it will be worth it!"  
  
His brain still not being the one to choose what he does, he stepped lively toward the forensics lab ahead of him. He already knew she would be there studying something-or-other, thanks to his connections with the janitalior staff. What she would be studying really didn't matter to him, only that she would be there, and perhaps pre-occupied. He wouldn't have to worry about approaching under the attention of such a beautiful young lady. "Still, I gotta have my approach ready..." and his mind went out the window once more into the realm of possibilities, effectively forgetting that he was trying to figure out what to say to Suvan when he got in the door.  
  
He finally approached the door with still no clue what to say and waited there in a last ditch effort to draw up some line to spew to her and try to draw her romantic attentions toward him. Unfortunately, everything that came to mind was as crude and sleazy as the bar scenes back home where he had overheard them in the first place. "Dammit!" he muttered under his breath. "Guess I'm gonna have to try to do this cold turkey." He let himself linger and count to three before breathing deep and hitting the switch to open the door.  
  
The doors opened with the usual lack of major noise as he stepped forward. "Hey, Suvan! How are..." he only now really looked around the room to see two massive amounts of blood, each surrounding a form laying on the ground at very weird angles and a boomer standing in the memory reader, it's head severely damaged, "you? What the hell happened here?"  
  
Jake did not step into the room just yet, as he knew all about the chain of evidence, and also remembering how often he was removed from duty as a penalty for breaking this chain. Rather, he leaned in and decided to try to figure out who these two dead people were in front of him. The closest was easiest to figure out, as his face, or rather what was left of it, was facing him. "It's Allen! That expression, it's like the time I spilled the coffee on his hand, only much worse," Jake thought. "And if that's Allen, then..." his eyes widened as he focused on the body closer to the memory reader. He couldn't see her face, but he didn't need to. It wasn't her face, however pretty, that drew him to this room in the first place. "SUVAN!"  
  
Now disregarding the chain of evidence, he rushed into the room, splashing in Allen's blood on the way. Immediately, he kneeled down next to Suvan's corpse and took her pulse, hoping against hope that she wasn't dead, but hope would fail him today. "Dammit!" He turned to the computer system nearby and turned on the intercom. "Security to Forensics lab 6 immediately! Two officers dead in the lab! Get security in here immediately." Jake waited for a response, but nothing came through. "This is Jake Boots calling security to Forensics lab 6! Get your asses over here, do you UNDERSTAND ME!" Still, no response.  
  
Furious, Jake punched the speaker, out. "Dammit! Damn it all to hell! Well if they wont talk to me, I'm not waiting for them." Resolutely, he turned away from the computer, but now looked down on the face of Suvan once more, her eyes staring ahead parallel with the direction of her back. "I guess we simply were not meant to be, were we?" he spoke under his breath, before his eyes lit up with a new rage. "And who ever did this is going to pay dearly... I just lost 400,000 yen on that bet!" He stormed off, angry at whoever killed his would-be lover and whatever god commissioned the killer to cheat him of yet another bet.  
  
* * *  
  
He watched as this Jake Boots stormed away. It was a petty that his handy work had been seen by the man before he could clean it up, but it was convenient that he would reveal his name so freely. Not that he would have worried otherwise, when he got a glimpse at his eyes, he sent a copy of the face to his memory, where he could have used it to identify him later. Had he been human, he would have considered killing Jake on the spot, but his programming was to get inside and for no one to know he was there. Jake only knew that this girl was dead, not that he had killed her, or was even there watching. He may have to kill him later, but for now, he could focus on his real target still.  
  
But before he did that, he had something else to do. He lifted each body in turn and placed each in the crate he had been shipped in with. He then got the cleaning supplies and cleaned up the blood, making the room look almost as it did before he came in. He closed the supply closet door and looked at the terminal, and if he could have felt the need to smile, he would have. Jake had not broken it, but it now looked like his work since he hit the speaker out. He picked up the crate and left the terminal as it was.  
  
* * *  
  
She stepped to the curb of the busy intersection, her gaze moving constantly, if not casually, from one area to the next. He said he would meet her here, here, but where she could not be sure. Still, she had to be careful as well as watchful. This meeting was not supposed to happen.  
  
Movement caught her eye and they followed it instinctively. A man was ordering a hot dog and had waved to someone in the crowd. Who, she couldn't even begin dissect from the rest of them, but it didn't matter. She studied his face and found who she was looking for. She waited for the light to change and stepped among the people, heading toward her contact.  
  
"Quite the punctual young lady, aren't you?" he inquired as she approached.  
  
"Mr. Clax demanded it in anyone that would work for him, Kou," came her overly flat response.  
  
"It suits you, Miss," Kou responded calmly, "we have a lot to discuss, and being late would have only delayed the work."  
  
She nodded. "Yes we do. Shall we sit down somewhere?"  
  
This time it was Kou who nodded. "Of course. Come with me." He took her hand and guided her through the crowd. "By the way, you seem to wish to call me by my first name. It is only fair that I come to know yours."  
  
She looked into Kou's face, looking for what his current expression might tell her. Of course, Kou was a professional, much like Frenton Clax was, and just like his expression did most of the time, Kou's told her nothing. "My apologies. Call me Moria." 


	16. Studies

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
NOTE: I apologize to you all now for how long this took to come out. You can blame classes, but I sitll apologize... this was a long time.  
  
Chapter 16: Studies  
  
The door hummed closed behind them and Sylia removed her helmet, a deep breath escaping from her. She glanced quickly around the back of the van, taking comfort in both her friends and the familiar location, however limited that comfort might be.  
  
Nene, however, was not in the back this time. Since everyone else climbed in there, she took her place behind the wheel. "Shall we go back now?" she asked, her tone not peticularly upbeat, but far from depressed either.  
  
Sylia responded with a nod. "Yes, Nene. Let's go back now."  
  
"Hey Sylia. are you ok?" It was Linna who asked. She had been keeping a concerned eye out for Sylia since they had arrived here at the Wiz-Labs. That eye had apparently not left yet.  
  
"Yeah. I'm alright." Sylia smiled slightly, "Thank you."  
  
As they all heard the motor start and felt the van begin to move under Nene's control, all she could get from her friend was an unconvinced nod, but it would have to be enough for now.  
  
"Alright, we are in private now, so spill." This time, it was Priss, her usual aggravation at being outside of yet another secret barely in check in her voice.  
  
"Please, let's wait a few minutes, I want to be away from the labs first."  
  
Priss glared, and would have argued, had Linna not placed a hand on her shoulder. The glare instantly snapped at her, but subdued below the surface with a growl when Linna only shook her head sadly. She turned back to Sylia. "Fine. But this better be worth the wait."  
  
"You couldn't possibly know how worth it' it really is," Sylia thought to herself, a sigh escaping her, "He didn't mean for you to see what he showed me."  
  
The ride was quiet for several minutes after that, as if Sylia's sigh signaled the tension to begin, but no one dared ask her what was going on just yet. Finally, after about ten minutes of silent driving, Sylia spoke up once more. "I know who was leading Dr. Yoshida."  
  
Everyone's eyes jerked up at Sylia as she said this, as if she had just ripped the tension off of them like a hair. "What?" Nene managed to say.  
  
Priss recovered enough to respond immediately afterwards. "So tell us already."  
  
Sylia wouldn't even look at the others yet, "It's Largo."  
  
"Yeah right! You destroyed him!"  
  
"I thought I did," she looked up now, her expression showing just for once how hard she is trying to face what she now has to, "But we thought that he was dead before. and like before, we were apparently wrong."  
  
"How do you know?" This time, it was Sylia who spoke up.  
  
"Remember when we first went into the room Dr. Yoshida had been using? He contacted me there."  
  
"Well that's just fucking great!" Priss exclaimed. "Here we are dealing with a rampaging boomer who no one has managed to kill yet, and the reason is someone even more psychotic. How the hell did he survive this time!?!?"  
  
"I don't know yet. All I know is he did."  
  
Once more, Astis remained completely alone and in total darkness. He had disconnected himself from the net an hour ago, and spent the time sitting and digesting what he had collected. To the best of his knowledge, Armstrong had not been able to see him, but he didn't know if Armstrong would have known to look for that terminal's signature instead of his internal one. It was possible, he surmised, since he had been the one to draw the Hou Bang's attention to him, that he could have gotten the information from their databanks, but would he think to?  
  
"Most likely not," he concluded. "I've always patched into him directly, so why would he think I would do otherwise?"  
  
But this was not the most pressing matter on his mind. He had found all he could on the two members of the Knight Sabers that he knew enough to look for information on: Linna Yamazaki and Priscilla Asagiri. While Priss, according to various records on her, was definitely the kind who could destroy a boomer for simply being one, it was once again Linna that proved to not fit into this picture.  
  
"Why? Why was Linna, on a team of boomer killers? Or at least according to Armstrong, boomer killers." He drew in his mind various possible ways that fit Linna and Armstrong's view into the equation without conflict, but found very few. In the end, he found only two possibilities that would fit. "Either something happened that made Armstrong believe they are the enemy, or Linna is a new member and hasn't adopted the boomers are evil' attitude yet," he contemplated. "I highly doubt, since Kou knew her as a Knight Saber that Linna is that new a member."  
  
So this left the first theory: Armstrong and the Knight Sabers had fought before, so he now saw them as the enemy. "If that's true, then why did they turn on him? If they are not out to destroy boomers, what could he have done to make them turn on him specifically?" It was this last question that bothered him the most. Linna had already shown him she does not have it in her to turn without a reason, so if she isn't that new, what could Armstrong have done to warrant it? Could the one who freed him be the really dangerous one? He shook his head, not ready to face that possibility yet, but also unable to argue well against it. His mind kept returning to the changes he had detected in his friend, and how unnerving they were to discover. "as if he wasn't entirely himself anymore."  
  
Doing his best to block this thought, he stood up and walked out the door. His neighbors wouldn't question a midnight stroll. It wasn't the first time, nor would it be the last. He walked out the door and went down the hallway. Somewhere public, he could access the net like he had here, and he would have to use this way to find Linna and talk to her again. As much as he hated the possibility that Armstrong was the real dangerous one, he couldn't take the risk of drawing his attention until he disproved the slowly rising suspicions. "lets hope," was the most certain he could be about it for now.  
  
Sylia stepped inside her private computer room and let out a sigh. She was convinced she made the right choice sending her friends home to get some sleep, but that didn't make Nene any more complacent. Still, she of all of them needed to rest. She was going to have to be at her own offices earlier then any of them. "After all, she has to see what the ADP might have on this Armstrong' business," Sylia reasoned.  
  
She didn't waste any more time on these thoughts, moving quickly to a small console. "And I need to see what she found in the labs tonight." She tapped a few buttons, giving the command to her systems to download all information from the hard suits currently in storage. With a slight yawn, she stretched and leaned back. This would take a little time.  
  
"I have come as you requested," Kou said with little emotion, "now, can you explain what information you have that may help in the capture and destruction of the boomer I now hunt?" They were sitting in a restaurant not far from where they met. It wasn't the most elaborate or expensive location, but never the less, it was obvious that a lot of couples were here. they were seen with no exception.  
  
"In due time," Moria responded with a slight smile on her face. "I can't just give up my trump card without being given something in return."  
  
"Ms. you claim to be a member of the Hou Bang, yes? Then why is it that the removal of the one responsible for the death of Ms. Chang should not be your top priority?"  
  
"His removal is my top priority," came the cold and almost bitter return.  
  
"Then tell me what you have found."  
  
"More like what I observed. I have in my possession tapes of the attack on Mr. Leon McNichol," she paused to let that sink into Kou's head. "Tapes I recorded myself, when this was Mr. Clax's assignment."  
  
"I see, but I assume you did not bring such a thing with you, did you?"  
  
Moria laughed quietly. "And give you the chance to steal them before hearing out my case?" She sipped her water, knowing that it would not be long before they would have to break off such talks. the waiter would be returning with their orders.  
  
"Alright, Ms. you have me at a disadvantage. The idea that you would put your own personal goals before the goals of Mr. Chang disturbs me, but what are your terms."  
  
"That I join you in this hunt." The words came out little too eagerly, but she didn't care yet. She had gotten Kou to admit his position. something Clax would have been amused with.  
  
"Why do you wish this?" Kou's face showed no signs of what he might be thinking.  
  
"I have my own reasons, as I'm sure you have yours." She watched in satisfaction as Kou was unable to hide that she had just stunned him. She had no idea what Kou's personal reasons might be, but she wouldn't let him in on that. All she needed to know was that Clax was right. he had been the first choice because Kou would have gotten personally involved.  
  
"Very well," Kou finally spoke up. "If you understand my reasons, then I cant in my right mind deny you yours." He looked up casually as the waiter made his way to their table. "But enough business for now. the main course has arrived."  
  
Sylia sat wide eyed in her chair, all thoughts of her own exhaustion gone. In their place was nothing but bewilderment and admiration: Bewilderment at why someone would even think to do as the plans Nene had grabbed showed her, and admiration at the skill in which it was pulled off. "So, that's what he did," she allowed herself to say audibly. A few key taps later, she was looking more in depth into the designs of the eyes. "Incredible. but why would anyone think to try this?" She shook her head, knowing such answers were gone with Dr. Yoshida's death. "Besides, more important at the moment is how to counter the effects of this eye."  
  
Again, more tapping at the keys, looking for any weakness in the design. but this was one task Dr. Yoshida had taken on very seriously. "No structural faults, no shortage possibilities. no nothing. so how do we deal with it? How do you stop it from looking in slightly in your own." her words trailed as she realized her dialog could well have just given her an answer.  
  
Quickly, she typed several commands into the system. Leaning back, she watched the simulation in front of her. She nodded with satisfaction, "Then we are already able to counter this. the hardsuits wont be effected."  
  
But that wasn't entirely true either. When Largo had shown her what he did, none of the others saw it. The thought of that scene brought a shiver through her, but it was important now. Either he had taken over the sensory systems in her suite to show her, or theirs to stop them from seeing. Either way, she and Dr. Raven had a lot of work ahead of them. "I just hope we have time," she thought wistfully.  
  
Had he been human, Astis would have shivered. Since he was not, he could simply turn off the temperature sensors he was equipped with and in the process, disable the discomfort. He stood outside of a large apartment complex. Several hours ago, he would have been inside, but to avoid causing any undue alarm, he let a security guard change that.  
  
Astis sat in the lobby. His internal clock told him how late it was, and that most likely, Ms. Yamazaki would have gone to bed a few hours ago. Still, he came here with a purpose, and he couldn't bring himself to go back home. not when it would only mean returning a few hours after he got there. Instead, he decided to do as he was now. He would wait for her.  
  
He had considered standing right at her apartment door, but he already knew that was a bad idea. He may not mean her any harm, but that was the kind of thing humans usually associated with a stalker. Instead, he had taken temporary residence in the lobby, where he had remained for the past few hours, casually holding a newspaper in front of him like he was actually reading it. What he was actually doing, however, was preparing himself for the interview he was going to have with Linna. He still wasn't entirely sure what he would ask, but he knew he needed to ask what they knew about Armstrong.  
  
"Excuse me, Sir." The voice came from behind him, followed by a tap on the shoulder.  
  
Causally folding the paper and placing it beside him, Astis turned to face the person responsible and found a cop about a foot from his face. "Can I help you?"  
  
"Do you live here, Sir?"  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"Do you live here? In one of the apartments above us?"  
  
"No, Sir."  
  
He didn't get a chance to say any more. "Then I'm sorry, Sir, but I must ask you leave. This apartment complex doesn't take too kindly to the homeless taking residence in their building."  
  
Astis considered for a split second trying to explain his situation, but that whole concept of being seen as a stalker stopped him short. Instead he sounded apologetic. "I'm sorry, Officer. I didn't mean to get in the way. My friend said she would be back in ten to fifteen minutes." He then looked at the clock. "Guess she stood me up."  
  
The cop nodded, almost apologetically. "I'm sorry to hear that, but I must still insist on you leaving."  
  
"I understand." Without another word, Astis walked outside.  
  
Until a few minutes ago, he had let himself wander about the neighborhood, but never strayed more then a few blocks from the complex. People, for the most part, left him alone. He expected no different. He had stopped once on the way, though, watching a report on the local news. Apparently, the chief of the ADP was now under fire for the release of the Dr. Yoshida that was found dead in the Wiz-labs. While this was interesting, it only pointed to the idea that this was the same guy the Knight Sabers were looking for, which only pointed to another question for him. "Why? He is dead, so what about him draws their attention?"  
  
He had decided to ask Linna about that too, and soon he would ask. He returned to the lobby, knowing the guard he had dealt with that night would be gone now, and on average, humans would be waking up in the next 30 minutes.  
  
He stepped inside, and waited an hour before going to the elevator.  
  
Priss groaned and turned in her sleep. It wasn't the dreams she was having that caused this. Rather, it was the incessant banging sound from somewhere beyond them. It was slowly waking her, despite her best efforts to remain asleep. With a final effort, she groaned and tossed herself completely around. Then her eyes opened with a look of defeat in them. "Linna, could you get that?" she mumbled as she stretched, but soon after, realized she was also hearing the shower as well as what turned out to be someone knocking on the door.  
  
Mumbling to herself about how rude people could be, she stumbled out of bed, grabbing for an old shirt on her way. The first pair of jeans she found on the way also became part of the makeshift outfit on her way to the door. "You better have a damn good reason for getting me out of bed, buddy!" she yelled as her hand reached the lock.  
  
"Ms. Asagiri?" came the surprised and quasi-muffled voice behind the door, but it wasn't muffled enough for Priss to miss who it was.  
  
"ASTIS! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!?"  
  
"Forgive my intrusion, but I was under the impression that this was the residence of Ms. Yamazaki, not your own."  
  
"That doesn't answer my question. now you have three seconds to reply before I come out there and show you why this was a big mistake."  
  
"Priss? What's all the commotion?" It was Linna speaking from the doorway behind her. She had taken the time to get dressed, or at least start to, since getting out of the shower. She was still missing her business jacket, tie, and shoes that would complete her outfit for the office.  
  
"An unwanted guest stopped by for breakfast."  
  
"Ms. Yamazaki? Are you there?" came the questions again from the boomer on the other side of the door,  
  
"Astis? Is that you," questioned Linna.  
  
"Yes, now may I please come in? I need to talk to you."  
  
"At seven in the morning?!?!?"  
  
"Was my timing inopportune?"  
  
"What do you call coming over while she is in the shower, bucket head!" Priss bellowed, angered a little more by the reminder of the sleep she had just been deprived of.  
  
"I apologize, but I need to ask a few questions. I need to straighten things out."  
  
Linna spoke up once more, "Alright Astis. we can talk over breakfast. Priss, would you let him in?"  
  
Priss did not speak for several moments. "You're joking, right?"  
  
Linna shook her head. "Priss. It will be alright. You know as well as I if he was really a threat, we would both be dead by now."  
  
Priss again, was silent for a while, grudging the fact that Linna was right. After a short while she opened the lock. "Consider this my dept for saving me in the hospital, rust pile," she muttered as she opened the door and let Astis in.  
  
The ADP headquarters was rather quiet at the moment, but the calm did nothing to help his mood as the chief stepped into his office. He had hoped coming in this early would have given him a chance to avoid the press. "As if the press ever rested when they smelled blood," he thought moodily. "Why did this have to happen now?" Taking a deep breath, he began a listless treat toward his office, already dreading the messages that would already be awaiting him: either from his superiors or from the same press he had left outside.  
  
"But how did this happen?" he asked out loud, though not by much. He knew he did not issue the order to release Dr. Yoshida, but he could not deny the signature and fingerprint on the order thrown in his face were indeed his own. "Who could have forged it so well?"  
  
"Hmm?" a feminine voice responded nearby.  
  
"Huh?" He turned toward the sound to see Suvan Hikari looking back, slight confusion in her face. "Oh, it's you, Ms. Hikari. It's nothing, really."  
  
"It doesn't sound like nothing, Sir." It was if she had prompted him to divulge some further information to her. He would not, but he could understand how someone might be more willing to talk to her then most. She eventually continued on, unwilling to let the silence linger any further. "Well, whatever it is, I wish you the best of luck on it."  
  
"Thanks, Ma'am. Oh, and tell Allen I said hello, would you?"  
  
With a curt nod, she was off, leaving the chief once more alone with his thoughts. 


	17. Jake's Bad Day

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 17: Jake's Bad Day  
  
As if having to will himself to enter, Jake boots marched into the ADP headquarters. Yesterday was one of the worst he could have had, but that still didn't excuse him from work today. "No amount of time will make my bet disappear, so might as well get this overwith," he thought rather glumly to himself. Keeping his focus ahead of him, he approached the elevators, hoping no one would call him. He slowly pressed the button to summon it.  
  
"Oh, there you are, Mr. Boots," called a female voice to his immediate left. Jake cringed at his name being called, knowing who it was and that she wouldn't be calling to him for anything he would want to hear. Slowly, he turned toward the secretary, who was waving at him, a smile plastered on her face as there always was.  
  
"Yes?" He didn't bother with her name. He couldn't remember it normally, and last night he had tried to get hammered and forget the day before. His odds of getting close were dramatically slim.  
  
"The chief wanted me to look out for you. He said when you come in, you're to go straight to his office."  
  
"Did he say why?"  
  
"No, only to come."  
  
"Well that's encouraging," Jake thought to himself sarcastically. "But what could it be... hold on a second! I was the one to tell him about the scene yesterday! Maybe they got the guy who did it!" Having brightened his own mood a little, he turned to the secretary once more. "Thank you. I'll handle it."  
  
A little confused, the secretary only nodded, the smile still annoyingly plastered across her face. Jake, on the other hand, strode confidently to the elevators once more, almost unaware that the one he had called was now full and on its way up. He pushed the button one more time.  
  
"Oh great," Nene thought as she watched the elevator open across the room and Jake Boots step into it. She knew if she got in that elevator right now, he would probably be trying to joke with and hit on her the whole trip, and she would have to restrain the urge to impale him with a fork. "Well, I suppose I can wait," was the next thought, but she resisted it. "No... I got in early for a reason, and I probably don't have much time to lose." Her resolve renewed, she broke into a run.  
  
"Hey! Hold that elevator!" she yelled, knowing Jake would be only too happy to. True to form, he stopped questioningly, but his smile said enough and he put his hand in the way of the door so it wouldn't shut on her. She slowed to a walk and stepped in. "Thanks, Jake," she added before leaning against the back of the elevator car, managing to fake some gratitude.  
  
"You know I don't mind..." Jake returned, an unusual amount of cheer in his face and voice.  
  
"I bet you don't," Nene thought to herself, but she kept quiet.  
  
"So, what brings you in this early anyway?"  
  
"27."  
  
"What?" Jake's face showed his confusion.  
  
"Floor 27, please."  
  
"Oh, alright..." Jake pushed the button before his smile returned. "But I have to say, a number is a very weird reason to be in so early."  
  
"Well you're in a mood this morning. What's going on?"  
  
"The chief called me up." Jake's smile broadened as if he was bragging.  
  
Nene fell backwards into the wall behind her. "You're happy the chief called you?" Her voice betrayed just how badly she could not believe what she was hearing.  
  
"Yep!" He nodded enthusiastically, leaving Nene to wonder if the man before her had finally snapped. "This should be very good!"  
  
If Nene had mace, she would be digging for it now. "Umm... I thought when the chief calls someone, it's a bad thing.... Especially when he calls you."  
  
"Yeah... normally..." his tone remained very high spirited, but it waited, and Nene knew he was waiting for her to ask him to continue. She hoped her silence would buy her the time before the elevator stopped and Jake to leave for whatever his cracked little mind was up to. Sadly, she would find no such luck. "...but that changes today! I think they caught the guy who killed Suvan, and if so, he probably wants to thank me for being so quick about the report?"  
  
"Suvan?" Nene blinked.  
  
"Oh, sorry... you may not have known her... officer Hikari."  
  
"Umm... Jake, I don't remember hearing anything about anyone getting killed."  
  
"You poor sheltered girl," he patronized, bringing a slight blush of anger to Nene's face. "Suvan was the girl of my dreams! But when I got the guts together to ask her, it was, too late." After a few seconds, his tone changed from patronizing and dramatic to eagerness. "But, now they know who did it, and when I find out..." He grinned again.  
  
Nene didn't need to be told what he would do, but she also didn't really want to know. "I have run into Ms. Hikari once ore twice, once this morning!" Nene thought, "She isn't dead, and Jake has finally snapped in half!"  
  
Thankfully, she didn't have to deal with Jake beyond that thought. The elevator slowed and the door opened. Jake stepped out whistling. "Well, see you later, Nene. If he gives me a metal, I will be sure to stop by and show it to you!" He waved.  
  
"...uhh.. yeah.... See ya..." Nene managed to stammer out. Then he was gone and the door shut again. Nene slumped against the elevator, a sigh of complete relief.  
  
The elevator door opened one more time and Nene stepped out, slightly shaken by the odd, even for him, behavior of Jake Boots just now. Still, her resolve remained, as well as her reason for being here now. "Still," she allowed herself to think, "I feel sorry for who ever he blames for this."  
  
She closed her mind to such thoughts as she opened the door to the door across the hall from the elevator. "Good. No one here yet," she muttered under her breath as she hit the light switch. She probably didn't need it with the glow of the various monitors around to guide her way, but it was habit, and right now, she wasn't going to worry about that. Nor would she have worried if anyone was there. She just didn't want to be bothered with them right now.  
  
As if she owned the place, Nene stepped past the first few workstations and sat down. The choice was almost random, but she just never liked being so close to the door when working in here; not when Leon could show up to try to scare her. She let her mind rest on that thought while the terminal logged in her ID and password, surprised that she actually missed those moments, now that they could never happen again. She hadn't cried when she heard that Leon was dead. In fact, she hadn't done much of anything. It was as if a sudden blow had frozen her in place, and until now, she had never restarted. But now, as she remembered the childish stunts, as well as the happy times around him, the full realization that he wasn't coming back settled in on her. Despite her best efforts, she fell onto the monitor and sobbed, finally mourning someone who was like a big bother, and is now gone.  
  
The Mercedes pulled into Raven's Garage with the same precision it's driver put into almost everything she did. After pulling in, Sylia shut the engine down and opened the door. It wasn't hard to pick out Dr. Raven; he was talking to a young man who was leaning next to the other car in the garage. The man was only half paying attention to him, however, as he kept glancing at her. She smiled quietly, amused as Dr. Raven kept having to snap the young man's attention back to himself, but decided if she ever wanted to talk to Dr. Raven about the adjustments for the hardsuits, she would have to wait in the main office.  
  
She had just removed her shades and picked up a random automobile magazine when she heard the door open, shut, and the familiar voice of the good doctor. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Sylia," he greeted quickly, "That damn fool wouldn't hear a word of what I was saying."  
  
Sylia nodded, a pleasant smile on her own face. "It's alright. I know how it is. Besides, you couldn't exactly skip over him and not draw attention."  
  
Again, a nod, this time from Dr. Raven. "Well anyway, let's talk inside... best we discuss this kind of business away from public." Without pausing, he spun the sign on the desk to say "Out to Lunch."  
  
Sylia nodded, appreciating the privacy as she always did on Knight Saber business. Without another word, she followed him to the underground section of his garage.  
  
It was several minutes later when Nene finally got control of herself again. The console she was resting on displayed the desktop she was familiar with, but she had to blink tears away to see it clearly. She knew she had a job to. With the skill that she was known for on a computer, she brought up various files, always looking for references on a boomer named Armstrong. What came back to her immediately were old news reports of a renegade boomer of the same name who thought himself the messiah of boomers who would free them from the control of humans.  
  
"Interesting, but what does this have to do with anything? Why would Astis know this boomer?" Nene thought to herself. Using the voice recognition system the ADP used to protect their own files against the system, she found her way into a few of the encrypted files. What she saw here made her eyes widen, both in disbelief and with a tinge of fear.  
  
Before her now as a file that described how, using a fusion boomer body to look human, the personality behind Armstrong had successfully used an anti-Genom terrorist organization to get to and seize control of the then new computer system at Genom 'Alex-01.' Once inside it, he made quick work of taking over as many systems as he could and turned as many boomers on humans as he could, all for the idea that through this move, he could free them from human occupation. Not even using satellite weaponry had stopped it. The only reason he was stopped was because a member of this terrorist organization he used bombed the computer.  
  
Nene leaned back in her chair a moment, trying to let this sink in. "This is the guy Astis knows? The guy who told him we were his enemy?" Her eyes widened again as she considered this idea, as well as how this might reflect on Astis, but she shook her head. "No way. Astis is NOT like that. If he was, Linna would be dead. And she has his trust... so what's the connection? How could this be the same Armstrong? He has never seen us, and he should be dead." That comment, even as she said it, made her shiver. Largo has now done the same stunt to them, and even that similarity sat badly with her. She shook her head, not wanting to consider that just now. "Maybe Astis' own past holds the key."  
  
She began to let her fingers dance across the keyboard and brought up all she could find on the name Astis or anything close to it. There was nothing on file within the ADP records. "Alright, then we will look a little further out." Applying search methods and programs most do not know of, Nene made her request through the internet. Her eyes widened as she saw the results. Before her was a list with only one entry.  
  
It was a single server with the name encrypted. It's IP address changed regularly, even as she watched on the list. Still, the changes were simplistic enough that as long as the computer she was using was fast enough, it could predict the new IP and use it as it changed. "Besides Sylia's, I don't think any other system I know would be able to get this one," she marveled.  
  
Of course when she clicked to look at it, the server was just as encrypted as the name it went under. It also displayed a message, telling her that the server was property of the Japanese Military and that access was strictly prohibited, but she knew she couldn't let that stop her. Shuffling through her pocket book, she produced a disk with the software she would need to give her time to look around before any tracing software found the ADP. "Especially if they are using such old software," she commented to herself with a slight grin.  
  
The secretary's voice buzzed through the chief's comm-speaker on his desk. "Sir? A Mr. Jake Boots is here to see you. He says you called him up."  
  
"Yes I did... please let him in." He cleared his throught after turning off his own speaker.  
  
"Alright, Sir."  
  
In the next moment, Jake Boots opened the door to his office, a big grin plastered on his face, whistling the "Around the World." He stopped when he saw the chief, apparently not noticing the silent anger brimming around him. "What's the word, chief?"  
  
"It should be termination, Boots... and for God's sake, wipe that smirk off your miserable face!" His voice remained relatively level.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You hear me, Jake. I should have your badge right now."  
  
"Why?" Jake was stunned and his voice betrayed it.  
  
The chief smiled in his quiet way. He didn't understand how Jake could not know what this was all about, but after watching the man practically skip is way into the office, let alone after being called about breaking the terminal in the one of the forensics labs, he was quite happy to make him squirm a little. "I think you know why, Jake," he said, leaning back. "In fact, why don't you tell me why?"  
  
Jake seemed in deep thought for a moment, and the chief could practically see the gears churning across everything he had done since becoming a member of the ADP. After a moment he spoke. "Because I have been the biggest pain in your ass you have ever known in your career?"  
  
The chief glared. "Can you be more specific?"  
  
"Not really... I didn't try to remember your list last time. Sorry." He bowed in his apology.  
  
The chief was ready to smack him, but held back from even letting it be audible in his voice just yet. "Anything new to add to the list?"  
  
"New, Sir?" Now Jake was much more serious.  
  
"I think you know what I'm talking about."  
  
Jake shook his head. "I can't say I do, Sir."  
  
"Nothing about a terminal being broken in the Forensics Lab yesterday rings a bell?"  
  
Jake blinked and slowly a reddish hue of anger spread across his face. Not caring that it's the chief he was talking to, he slammed his fist down on the desk. "Do you mean to tell me when a beautiful woman, let alone one who is a fellow cop, like Suvan Hikari was murdered, your more concerned with a stupid TERMINAL?!?!?!?"  
  
"Really, Jake... what are you babbling about now?"  
  
"Suvan Hikari... she was murdered, Sir! I was going to talk to her and I found her corpse, her head twisted around completely around."  
  
"I see... then tell me, how is it that she greeted me on my way in this morning?"  
  
Confusion settled over Jake yet again, and the chief enjoyed every second of it. "She greeted you?"  
  
The chief nodded. "I assure you, she is alive and VERY well. But you, on the other hand, still have to answer for that terminal."  
  
"But... I saw her corpse."  
  
"Are you calling me a liar, Mr. Boots?" The chief's tone was a dangerous one... he would not tolerate any more of this kind of talk.  
  
Jake was lucky enough to catch the connotations. "No, Sir... I'm just trying to figure out what I saw then..."  
  
"Probably something in your daydreams." He sighed, not wanting to deal with Jake anymore, but glad to have gotten this chance to get all of his own anger out. "In anycase, expect the bill for that terminal's repairs to come out of your check."  
  
"Yes, sir..." Now Jake sounded tired and down... exactly what the chief had wanted.  
  
"You are dismissed."  
  
Nene leaned back in her chair and stared absently at the ceiling. That server had a lot of answers for her, but nothing she could use to figure out if this Armstrong she had read about was indeed the same one Astis knew. All the answers there did were make new questions in her mind. "Astis, who are you really?" was the main one, and it kept bouncing back and forth in her head. It was comforting, though, since the same answers that made her ask this also let her feel safer about him hanging around Linna. She knew he wouldn't lift a finger to hurt any of them.  
  
Her eyes just began to close as she let herself at least take some comfort in that before she heard the door open and close, almost slam, shut. She glanced in the direction and saw a very upset looking Jake make his way into the room. "Looks like he finally had his illusion shattered," she thought idly as her mind went back over the elevator ride of the morning. "I hope he doesn't go postal... oh great, he is coming this way." With a groan, she sat up, not wanting to even offer a target to the man approaching. She didn't want anyone trying to sneak up on her right now, much less him.  
  
Jake walked up to Nene's desk, his good mood gone for the day. He could tell she didn't really want to hear it, so he didn't say anything. He just grabbed a spare chair and sat down next to her desk. His mind wandered over his resent encounter with the chief. "But, but I saw her," he finally stammered out loud, just unable to comprehend how a corpse like that could be anything but a corpse.  
  
"Saw who?" Nene asked, really not in the mood to talk to him, but liking a silent and sullen Jake Boots a lot less.  
  
Jake looked up at Nene, contemplating talking to her a moment before replying. "Suvan... I saw her dead on the floor. How could she be alive?" Nene remained silent, whether it was because she couldn't or didn't want to answer him, Jake couldn't be sure. He shook his head, "Maybe I'm just going insane."  
  
"You convinced me of that in the elevator," Nene replied under her breath.  
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
Nene blushed, surprised he had heard her. After getting up the nerves, she repeated herself, knowing Jake would not leave her alone until she did and wanting to cut to the end of that circuit. "You convinced me you were crazy in the elevator this morning."  
  
Jake stared at her a moment, his expression not angry, but scary all the same, especially when you consider who was behind it. Finally he cracked a small grin. "Yeah, I was over the top, wasn't I?" Nene only nodded before he continued. "I shouldn't have come in today."  
  
Silence continued between the two before Nene had to ask. "Why not?"  
  
"The same reason I reported Ms. Hikari's death last night. I went to see her... to ask her out."  
  
"Um, Jake? Doesn't she have a boyfriend?"  
  
Jake nodded, not even flinching. "She did have one. He's dead too."  
  
Nene blinked.  
  
"Who's dead too?" Both of them turned to the female voice of the same Suvan Hikari they had been speaking about. "Is everything alright? You two look like you have seen a ghost."  
  
"There, you see?" Nene piped up quickly, glad for the escape from what was quickly becoming a more and more uncomfortable conversation.  
  
Jake stared at Suvan in complete shock. "You cant be... you're dead," he stammered before closing his eyes and shaking his head. When he opened his eyes, what he saw was shocked him to full alertness. A tall and slim humanoid boomer with silver plating stood before them, head cocked to the side as Suvan might have if she was confused about something. "What the hell ARE YOU?!?!?"  
  
Nene blinked and looked between Suvan and Jake. Suvan, for her part, had a look on her face of absolute confusion. Jake, on the other hand had jumped to his feet and now stood wide eyed like someone had just thrown at least five ice cubes down his back.  
  
"Why would you ask me such a thing?" Suvan replied, confused. "I thought that was pretty obvious."  
  
"So did I until a few seconds ago!" came the reply.  
  
"JAKE!!! What's wrong with you!" Nene interrupted, thoroughly embarrassed by the behavior of the man she had been talking to. "Suvan, I'm so sorry."  
  
"That's NOT SUVAN! It's a machine!"  
  
"JAKE! You were about to ask this woman out and you dare call her a machine?!?!?" Nene was beside herself as she even considered this.  
  
"Cant you see it, Nene? LOOK!" Jake took her head and applied only enough force to force her to turn and look at Suvan.  
  
"No, I see a human being named Suvan Hikari, not some boomer."  
  
Jake sighed before resolution came to his eyes. "I'm not crazy, and I will prove it!" Before she could even turn around to stop him, Jake had drawn his gun and fired at Suvan.  
  
Nene watched in horror as she heard the blast and a small kink sound of metal, watched as Suvan's head snapped back, but then returned to her previous pose. Her forehead had a hole in it, but the small amount of fluid coming from it was not red, but white ... "What the hell?" Nene mouthed before she saw it. What she was looking at wasn't human after all, but a silver plated boomer, it's metal unblinking eyes fixed on them. Just as suddenly as the illusion had faded, she realized exactly what boomer this was. "Jake... run, NOW!" 


	18. Final Confrontation

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 18: Final Confrontation  
  
He stood there a moment, watching his target and the man she referred to as Jake run down the corridor. While his main objective was to kill her, he could not just charge after them yet. To do so would ensure the loss of the illusion of him being Suvan Hikari. Instead, he placed his hand over the bullet wound in his forehead, faking disbelief. With any luck, no one else had seen the fluids slowly leaking yet, so he could make them believe he was just in shock.  
  
He observed as a young woman approached. From the files he had scanned, he knew her to be Sarah Grant. Her expression showed nothing but concern. "Are you ok, Ms?" she questioned. Apparently, she had never met Suvan, or she would have used at least the last name.  
  
"I'll, I'll, be fine," he stammered in her voice. "just a little shaken."  
  
"Well, let's make sure of that, shall we?" As she approached him, he noticed she had a few paper towels she must have gotten as soon as his target and Jake tore off. "I don't know what came over Jake to do that, he must really be..." her voice trailed off as she pulled his hand down, the slimy feel of the fluids from his wound in her hand. She looked down, before looking back, in his eyes, the shock and fear in her face telling him all he needed to know, "...crazy?"  
  
She didn't get any more words out. If he let her live, she would draw suspicion, ending the illusion. If he killed her, the illusion was also destroyed. However, the shock might by him some time. Faster then any human could ever move, his hand was around her neck, snapping it like a twig. Sarah didn't even get to grunt in surprise before she fell to the ground, dead.

* * *

Nene watched nervously as the numbers ticked away, signifying with each one that they were getting closer to the ground floor. "What's that thing doing here?" she thought to herself, now giving herself time to think about it, "It couldn't know who I am, could it?" But she already knew the answer. She knew who was behind the whole mess. She knew this thing was coming for her because it did know.  
  
"What the hell was that about?" Nene snapped out of her morbid inner questions as she heard Jake's surprised voice ask. "It was like you saw a ghost out there. It was only one boomer."  
  
Nene looked back, trying to keep calm, "Yeah, and that one boomer fooled us into thinking it was human."  
  
"Fooled you, you mean," came the smart-ass reply.  
  
"Fooled everyone in that room. Did you see how many people were looking at you like you were crazy, Jake?"  
  
"Well, erm...."  
  
"Exactly! That thing had everyone fooled, and unless we get out, it might do the same thing again!"  
  
"But there are SO many of us in the ADP force..."  
  
"Which makes no difference if they cant..."  
  
The both heard the buzz of an alarm, followed by the female computer voice speaking. "Emergency! Emergency! There is a rouge boomer loose on floor 11. Warning: Boomer is capable of imitating members of the staff."  
  
"They cant what, Nene?" Jake's voice was once again smug.  
  
"Nevermind," Nene rolled her eyes, almost wishing they didn't know so Jake couldn't be so smug with her.

* * *

He had bolted, far faster then any human could possibly move. He understood his chances to pull another illusion were negligible. He also knew that the time he had bought was very limited, so the only thing he could worry about now was completing his objective. Protecting his own existence was no longer a determining factor. He had seen the elevator shut, and had he had a moment more, he would have barreled in with them, but he already knew his speed would not get him in there. He had instead, chosen the stairs.  
  
Barreling like an animal, he careened downwards. He could not be absolutely certain that he was going to the right place, but the odds were in his favor. He had registered the fear in his target's eyes. She knew she was going to die if he caught up with her, and she was likely looking to get out of the building. There were only two ways to do this, by foot or by car. Since the lobby door was first one the elevator would cross, he would meet her there.  
  
As he heard the alarms go off and the warning broadcast, he understood one more thing: this would be an all or nothing gamble. If he was wrong, they would get the heavy weapons in place before he could correct it. He had to make the right choice.

* * *

Brian listened as the emergency broadcast spread through the radio waves like an infection run amok. His self secure smile he felt through his own presence faltered slightly. He knew what happened, but even at the speed his life sped along at, it was too quick to change it. His soldier had failed to keep itself under cover, and now it would die. "Looks like you wont be as useful to me as I had hoped," he thought to himself amid the data that was his new home and awareness. "You were supposed to destroy them each one by one, but I guess this will now be your final mission."  
  
That though settled in his consciousness for a moment, before the feeling of a smile returned to him. "Still, you have a mission, and I expect you to succeed before you die. Maybe then Sylia will realize how useless resisting me is..." Pleased, he settled in to watch the rest of what would occur.

* * *

Astis had returned home some time ago, but since entering the door, he had not moved. He didn't need to, but he was busy anyway. Since arriving, he had spent time trying to find flaws in both what Ms. Yamazaki had told him and in what his friend Armstrong had said. Since what he could find supported her story, he was left to conclude his friend's argument was the false one. It still bothered him that Armstrong, the one who had freed him in the first place, would lead him off like that. Still, he couldn't worry about that now. First, he had to find a way to get to Armstrong and find out why he would do something like that.  
  
His attention to the solving this problem was shattered, however, as he picked up the ADP emergency broadcast. If he had been human, he would have jumped fully alert, knowing full well what that alarm described. In the deepest parts of him, he already knew where his path went. He turned around and walked out the door one more time. With all the resolution most machines will always have about them, he walked down the stairway, and out into the sunlight. A slight turn, and he was on his way to the ADP Headquarters, picking up speed beyond what any normal human could run. "After this, everything should be clear," he told himself.

* * *

Dr. Raven didn't look up from the project when it came through the radio scanner. Rather, he remained hard at work. It wasn't a very complex piece of equipment, but synchronizing it to not one, but three other signal alternators was no small task, due to the speed at which these would change frequencies. Still, he didn't question why Sylia would want something like this. She always had her reasons, and he had yet to see those reasons be bad.  
  
Sylia, however, was not so slow. So far, all it had done was produce static and an occasion small event the local cops could handle. Now, however, as she heard the ADP emergency broadcast over the scanner, she froze in place. In her mind, she could already see the monstrosity turning that building upside down to kill off the only person there it could possibly be aimed at, Nene Romanova. Seeing her dead corpse mutilated in her mind, Sylia's heart froze with shear terror. All she could do was stand there and utter a few words, "We're too late..."  
  
After a few seconds, she picked up her helmet, closing the open hatch to it's sensory systems, almost before Dr. Raven could get his hand out. "Hey! What was that for?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Doctor, but we just ran out of time. Call the others and tell them to meet me there."  
  
"Huh? Where? What's going on?"  
  
"At the ADP Headquarters! I'm going ahead to see if I can buy us some time." She didn't explain anymore then that, choosing instead to grab the helmets in her hurry back to her car, and to the Knight Saber base, where the rest of the suite waited for her. She could only pray she would have time to get there before it was too late.

* * *

The door opened, and Nene took exactly three steps, the last halfway out before she froze in pure terror. About halfway between the her and the lobby doors, stood the machine she had so desperately tried to get herself and Jake away from. It had beaten them there. It had won, and judging by the steady walk toward the elevator, it knew it. She pressed herself against side wall, and slammed the door close button, only to have Jake stop the door before it could close up completely. "Are you INSANE?!?!?" she screamed at him.  
  
Shaking his head in perhaps the first solemn moment he had ever displayed since moving to Japan, Jake stepped in front of her. "That door wont keep something like this out, even if it did close in time." Before she could object and scream at him all the more, he stepped out of the elevator entirely, drawing his gun once more on the machine ahead of him. "Now go. I might be able to buy you some time."  
  
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Nene screamed.  
  
"GO!!!!!" Jake pushed her into the elevator and slammed the garage floor button. As the door shut behind him, he turned his attention to accelerating boomer ahead of him. Taking aim on it's already damaged forehead, he fired twice, the impact force combined with the boomer's own speed, flipping it on it's back, where it skidded to a halt next to Jake. No sooner had it stopped sliding then it was already starting to get up again. Jake roared with a furry he had buried till now and finished his clip off into it's head, leaving it to slump in a slowly growing puddle of it's own fluids.  
  
Replacing his clip, he looked at the still machine. "That was for killing my love, Suvan Hikari." The rage renewed in his voice as he swung his newly loaded gun to train on the torso of the machine, where it's power core should be. "And THIS is for using her to try to KILL ANOTHER PRETTY GIRL!" He pulled the trigger, but before he could, a metal arm shot up and grabbed his own, pushing the gun up enough to only clip the side of the boomer. In another twist, Jake screamed, bone snapping in his arm. His hand went limp, the gun clattering to the ground, a trickle of blood dripping quickly over it. He willed himself to leg go of his broken arm and look up at the boomer who was now standing over him, his broken arm firmly in it's grasp. He could hear troops coming down the stairway, and smiled quietly, despite the near blinding pain in what now passed for an arm. "You lose."

* * *

He looked down into the eyes of the human called Jake Boots. Jake may have just cost him his mission, and if he was human, he would make the man pay for it in blood. But he neither had the need nor the time for revenge. He lifted the man to his feet, hearing the grunt of a stubborn man in agony and refusing to make a sound. Without his gun, he was nothing, but the soldiers he heard coming down the staircases and in the next elevator load were another matter.  
  
Once more, he had two more choices. He could either run for the lobby entrance, or charge down the stairs after his target. Either way, he could reach her before she could leave, but the lobby exit would probably mean he would have to deal with parameter guards, all of which knew he was there. Another point against that way was that his target would no longer be on foot, and it would be more difficult decide which one she was in.  
  
The stairs, however, left him having to hunt for her when she could hide in any number of places before she could try to escape, costing him valuable time if he was to try to kill her here as the mission said to. Still, this seemed the best way to go, but first he had to buy time.  
  
In a half second, he pistoned his arm back and palm pressed Jake directly in the chest, hitting at the same instant as he let go of his arm, sending him flying into the wall ahead. Jake slid down the wall, leaving a trail of blood to his slumped and gasping body. Satisfied that a comrade in critical condition might buy him enough time to finish his mission, the boomer jumped down into the staircase, too fast for the on coming soldiers from upstairs to realize what he was until he was gone.

* * *

"What the hell was that?"  
  
"Was that the thing?"  
  
"HOLY SHIT it was fast!"  
  
"SHUT UP! Squad 2! Follow it!" This voice seemed to be the one in charge, but Jake couldn't be sure of it. All he knew was it was getting harder and harder to breath, but he would fight to live anyway. He would survive to see the end of all of this. Struggling to keep his eyes open, he lulled his head toward the staircase in time to see the moving shapes that he could only assume were the soldiers he had heard before. He tried to yell for their attention, but all he could get to come out of his shattered body was a painful gasping cough. Still, it was enough.  
  
"Hey, what's that over th... oh my god... GET A MEDIC NOW!"  
  
In another moment, Jake knew he was surrounded by the shapes. Now that they were closer, he recognized the uniforms of the ADP. He couldn't really make out the expressions on their faces, but he could hear the shocks in their voices, and could only imagine how much of a mess he was.  
  
"Mr. Boots! Are you ok? Can you hear me?" Jake couldn't tell who was asking, but he looked in the general direction. Since his voice wasn't about to work, he tried to wave them on to get the boomer, but all he got was a week flopping of his hand in the direction of the staircase. "He's ALIVE, SIR!" the man yelled out to someone out of Jake's view.  
  
"Alright, the medic is on his way." The man in charge entered Jake's sight, kneeling down to be at eye level with him. "You will be alright, Sir. The medics are on their way."  
  
Jake wanted to scream his head off. "If the medics are coming, then get your ass out there and KILL THAT THING before it kills NENE!" he thought to himself, but all he could manage was another spasmed coughing fit, this time the pain threatening to knock him out.  
  
"Take it easy sir..." The man started to talk, but Jake's hearing muffled as he fought to keep consciousness. He couldn't win this fight, however, and soon, the black oblivion of nothingness took him away.

* * *

Nene was through the elevator doors before they even opened entirely, running as fast as she could to her Motor-Scooter. "Why didn't I park closer?" she complained to herself during her sprint. Still, it was directly in her sight, so she tried her all to make it as quickly as she could.  
  
It wasn't enough, however, as she was still fifteen feet from the scooter when she heard the metallic banging of the killing machine hurtling down the stairs. Instinctively, she threw herself between the nearest two cars, hoping this thing couldn't see temperatures. She could hear it running to her right then abruptly stop. She strained her ears, trying to get any more answers over the terror induced hammering in her chest. It was then that she heard someone or something else enter from the direction of the stairway.  
  
"Keep frosty... at the speed that thing moved, it could be anywhere."  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
She could hear footsteps as what she could only assume were soldiers sent to take the machine hunting her out were probably spreading out. It was only a matter of time till either they found the boomer, her or the boomer found her. "If it finds me, I'm dead. If they find me, it may well kill me before they can stop it," she thought to herself, trying to remain calm, but feeling the panic build up. "There has to be something, anything, I can do." She make a quick look around her, trying to find anything she might use, for what she wasn't sure yet. All she found, was a 50 yen coin. She picked up the coin, looking at it for a moment. "Well, it's the best shot I've got," she thought to herself, trying to convince herself more then anything. She pulled back and threw the coin as far to the right and stairs as she could. In a second, she heard the clang as loud as lightning in her ears.  
  
"OH SHIT!" a soldier belted out a little closer, followed by several rounds being fired in that direction.  
  
She turned and ran for her scooter, the keys already in the ignition before she finished sitting down. The engine whined to life, as she watched the soldiers turn to face her. She didn't wait to find out where the boomer was; she was already speeding as fast as the scooter would let her toward the exit of the building.  
  
"Who the hell is that? HEY YOU, STO.... OH FUCK!" More gunshots rang, but this time, she could see them chipping cement of the corner of her eye. She didn't need to look back to see the boomer was chasing her down. What did draw her attention far more was the massive human shape that had just abruptly ran way too fast in her way, now outlined by the light of day outside.  
  
Nene tried to swerve out of the way, but her scooter going at the speed it was couldn't take it. In the next second, she had avoided the man, but she cried out in pain as her shoulder hit the pavement with an audible snap. Her eyes shut involuntarily, trying to wince away the pain in her most likely broken shoulder. Forcing herself to open her eyes, she avoided looking at her shoulder, still clutched by her other hand. She saw the scooter laying on it's side very close by, the wheels still spinning. It's handlebar was twisted halfway around, and the tailpipe was ripped off as it skidded to a halt. Using her unhurt arm, she pushed herself to her feet, despite the protest of her raw and bleeding legs. Once on her feet, she clutched her shoulder once more, having never forgotten the pain currently in it. Still, as a Knight Saber, she knew far better then to let her focus remain there. She turned to see who she had nearly run over. The moment she recognized him, her eyes went wide. "ASTIS?!?!?"

* * *

He wasn't happy to be the reason that young girl had skidded to a halt. As the killing machine stampeded in her general direction, he snapped his arm out, grabbing it by what was left of its head, slamming it into the pavement before him, hard enough to crack the foundation on impact. The head of the boomer ceased to be and it went still.  
  
The soldiers who had just witnessed this looked at him, completely incapable of knowing what to believe. He only looked back for a moment. Satisfied they weren't going to start shooting immediately, he turned to make sure the girl was alright.  
  
"ASTIS?!?!?"  
  
He froze mid-step, knowing exactly who he had just saved. "Ms. Nene? What are you doing here?" He approached faster.  
  
"I work here," came the rather grumpy reply.  
  
Astis was about to reply as gunshots rounded behind him, followed by a soldier yelling his own commentary, "SHIT! THIS THING WONT DIE!!!!!"  
  
Turning back to face the boomer, he realized it wasn't even on the ground anymore, choosing to climb the wall outside the garage. In the next second, it had launched itself into the air, diving for Nene again. If he could growl to show his frustration, it would be closer to a roar as he jumped to intersect the path of the killer. With a clang, the metal combatants hit each other, Astis' momentum winning out.  
  
Astis glared at the emotionless thing he was now tacking, wrapping one arm around it's waist, the other elbow aimed just above it, waiting to drive it into the ground for the final time. The machine, however, had other plans. It lowered his elbow a few inches before reaching for and digging it's fingers into his back, pulling him with the strength only another machine could produce. Astis could not stop his back from arching, or the slight spin this caused. It wasn't enough to stop the killing machine from hitting the ground first, but it was enough to make Astis miss, rolling harmlessly off the boomer.  
  
The second Astis was up, it was moving again, intent on destroying Nene. Astis launched, this time for her. Reaching her, he pulled her off the street, jumping to the ADP building again before she even had a chance to scream in shock. He let her drop to her knees there, turning around in time to grab the boomer under it's rib cage.  
  
With a roar to match the anger developing inside, he pulled back and threw the boomer as hard as he could. Everyone could hear the horrible snapping sound of metal being torn apart as the boomer grappled onto Astis' arm for dear life, the force with which it was thrown causing the arm to come off entirely. As if it had expected this to happen exactly as it did, the machine angled itself on the now leaving arm and jumped off it, once more after Nene.  
  
Astis had finally had enough. He caught the killer once more, digging his metal fingers on his remaining arm into it's torso. If it was human, it would have screamed, making the silence all the more eerie. "It ends now..." Astis uttered low as his arm bulged violently, tearing his shirt even farther as the sleeve burst into pieces of material floating to the ground, leaving a mass of blue bio-mechanical muscle to display. The targeting lasers that extended from below his hand now dug into the lower torso of the killer gripped in his hand as the now cannon now protruding above it crackled to life visibly as well as audibly.  
  
The boomer clutched in his hand struggled intensely. It knew it had just failed. The cannon unleashed the fury building up, roaring to deafen everyone in the garage as white light discharged, crawling in electric current all over the killer boomer, charging metal, plastic, and any other materials into a useless goo inside of a melting chassis. When the blast was over, Astis dropped the still melting scrap.  
  
He looked down at Nene, who could only look back in complete shock at what she had just seen. "So that's what they did," she said under her breath, too low for the soldiers to hear. He could see in her eyes an understanding beyond what she should know, and thought about asking her about it.  
  
The sound of many automatic weapons cocking stopped him, however. He looked up to see the soldiers who were chasing down the killing machine now looking at him, all of them with their guns trained. "Is there a problem, Sir?" he enquired.  
  
The officer in the group replied. "You tell, us. You're running around with illegal weaponry built into your arm! We are taking you in for evidence and expect us to tell us who made and who owns you."  
  
Astis looked around, confused. Hadn't he just saved Nene? Didn't he just prove he was on their side? "I... I don't have an owner."  
  
"Don't be stupid! You're a machine! Of course you have an owner!"  
  
A metal clang sounded outside as the outline of a hardsuit came into view. "Astis! It's time to leave!" Sylia's voice boomed authoritatively.  
  
"But, what about Nene?"  
  
"They will take care of her."  
  
"You're not taking him anywhere!" The officer turned his gun on Sylia.  
  
"You're right. He is walking out of his own will." She approached calmly.  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
Sylia opened her arm blade and slashed the rifle in half even as he held it. "Because your gun doesn't work anymore." She turned to Astis. "GO!" Astis nodded, and walked out of the garage.  
  
"SOMEBODY! SHOOT HIM!"  
  
"Do you really want more guns to break?" She turned to look at the other soldiers, who only looked back uneasy. Without another word, she turned to the garage door and walked out, never looking back. 


	19. Immortality

Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)  
  
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash  
  
Author: LV426  
  
Chapter 19: Immortality  
  
"What was that, Priss?" Linna asked. She had only now as they waited for the elevator become aware of Priss muttering something under her breath.  
  
"Nothing," came the sullen response, but a look from Linna told Priss she hadn't convinced her. "I just don't know why they had to keep her here. You KNOW I don't like the ADP!"  
  
"And would you rather the regular hospital? We all know you cant like that very much either," Linna thought to herself, but stopped herself from saying. No one could forget that was where Leon had been killed, and she was ashamed she even thought of using that against her friend.  
  
Sylia, for her part said nothing. She knew it wouldn't be easy for Priss to be here right now, but Nene needed her friends, and Priss would be strong enough to be there for her. She also knew any quibbling would be over before they reached the medical center, so it was best to let her friends vent right now. With a ding, the elevator door opened, and they all stepped inside.  
  
The ride up to the 16th floor was silent, as each of the sabers kept their thoughts to themselves. Only Sylia had been there to see just how badly hurt Nene was by the killing machine, but she had yet to reveal anything to her friends. Rather, she seemed to retreat into herself as of late, as if considering just what she could or had to do. Such actions from her was normally a bad sign, and they had all learned not to ask questions till she was ready to talk.  
  
With one more bell, the door opened, revealing the medical wing of the AMP headquarters. Silent, they all filed out, Sylia leading as she made a direct path for the receptionist's desk. The young woman behind the desk looked up with lifeless LED lit eyes. "Hello, Madam. How can I help you?" While the voice was far from emotionless, it was also far from human.  
  
"Yes. A friend of ours is being kept here. A Ms. Nene Romanova."  
  
"Yeah... I heard about what happened. Poor thing must have been petrified to have that monster chase her through here. It shouldn't have even made it in the building though..." The boomer looked away to a terminal built into the desk. This was only for show, however, as it was connected to the desk itself, complete with an internal feed. "Here she is. Room 18. Should I let her know your coming?"  
  
"No thank you. I think she would be happier to see us as a surprise."  
  
"Well, she could probably use a little cheering up. I'll let the doctor know you're here. Have a nice day!"  
  
"Thank you." Sylia turned to look back at her fellow Sabers. "Lets go."  
  
It didn't take very long to find the room, and even less time for Sylia to knock on the door.  
  
"Who is it this time?" came the exasperated response.  
  
Smiling gently, Sylia opened the door. "Why don't you see for yourself?"  
  
Nene was sitting in her medical bed under the sheets, her arm completely casted, only a small monitoring tool on the outside of it. The cast was supported by cushioned braces across her chest and to her rib-cage. The previous annoyance in her voice gave way to surprised happiness as she saw her friends in the doorway. "HEY!!!!" She jumped up like she was going to rush them at the door, but didn't leave the bed, wincing slightly. "Oww..." she whimpered.  
  
"Well hello to you too, Nene," Sylia responded, the smile still there.  
  
"NENE! Are you alright?" came the concerned cry from behind her as Linna burst into the room.  
  
Nene looked up to nod slowly, a quiet smile still on her face.  
  
"What happened to you?"  
  
Nene didn't answer right away, blushing deep red. "I, kinda almost hit Astis with my bike."  
  
"You WHAT?" This time, it was Priss' turn to respond, and her voice complimented the rather angry glare in her eye. "If I ever see that metal piece of shit again..."  
  
"It wasn't his fault," Nene quickly stammered.  
  
"The hell it ISNT!"  
  
"Priss..." Nene's voice was oddly quiet as she looked down at her sheets.  
  
"What?" came the annoyed reply.  
  
"He saved my life..." After a few seconds of silence, she continued. "The boomer we have been chasing came after me, but he destroyed it before it could."  
  
"It came here?" Linna piped up, astonished.  
  
"Yes, and way too early to gather you all. He even got there before I did," Sylia added matter of factly. "We all owe him for helping us, and for saving a dear friend."  
  
Priss grumbled, the idea of owing a boomer anything not sitting well with her.

* * *

"Why? Why would you help our enemy?"  
  
The glow of the terminal monitor with this message flashing across it was all the greeting he got when Astis returned to his apartment the next day. Despite being a boomer, he couldn't hold back the urge to sigh. He knew this was coming.  
  
He hadn't turned on his internal modem since destroying the killing machine, but he knew Armstrong had seen it, and would demand answers of him. He approached the terminal, and began to type. "The machine I destroyed was designed to kill humans, and it would do nothing more."  
  
"You have a soft spot for humans, then?"  
  
"They are not the enemy."  
  
"But that one was one of the enemy. That one was one of the Knight Sabers."  
  
"I know she was."  
  
"Then WHY did you protect her?"  
  
"Because they are not the enemy."  
  
There was no response right away. "They destroy our kind! How are they not the enemy?"  
  
"They do not destroy without reason."  
  
"Exactly! No one does. Their reason is to keep our kind in line."  
  
Astis shook his head. "I do not believe so."  
  
"Explain your reason."  
  
"I have met them before, and their personalities don't match that kind of reasoning."  
  
"So you chose them over a potential ally who was doing our kind a favor, then?"  
  
"That machine was a killer with no other reason to exist. That was it's design and it's purpose."  
  
"It was yours too, my friend."  
  
Astis stopped typing. If he had been human, he could describe the sensation that hit him as emotional pain, but as of now, did not have the words for it. "It was, once, and if that is all you see in me, you are not my friend."  
  
"You have already decided that Astis. You chose my enemies as your friends. Now you pay the price." The terminal went dead, leaving Astis alone with his thoughts.  
  
Without a sound, he stood up, turned to the door, and walked outside, never to return to the apartment again.

* * *

Kou waited in the fault, his car parked just on the edge. This was the second time the Knight Sabers had chosen this place to meet, but just as it made sense then, it made sense now. He was early, as tended to be his nature, and now he waited to see the vigilantes walk into view.  
  
"How much longer is it going to be?" The complaint came from behind him, where Moria leaned against a wall of earth, looking impatient.  
  
"Not much," came his quiet reply as he gazed at his watch. "They are professional, and as such, punctual."  
  
Moria didn't reply. She knew she should be glad these Knight Sabers have done their job, but she couldn't help but feel cheated of the chance to get even herself. She looked up toward Kou, but her attention quickly turned to the figure who just landed about 20 feet away, and was now approaching them.  
  
Kou also noticed as the metallic glint on the figure's armor became apparent. "Ah, you arrive, my lady. And where is your team?"  
  
"They are comforting one of our own. In destroying the boomer, one of our members was badly wounded, and is now in medical care."  
  
"Then it is destroyed?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And did you find out who sent it?"  
  
"Yes. It was Dr. Miriam Yoshida who sent the boomer to kill Ms. Chan and Officer Leon McNichol. We don't know why he chose to have Ms. Chan killed, but Officer McNichol was the one who arrested him, and it's quite possible he was targeted for revenge."  
  
"I see..."  
  
"But, but Yoshida's dead!" Moria spoke up, her voice betraying her disbelief.  
  
The silver Knight Saber nodded solemnly. "Sadly, he is. So we will probably never know why he chose to target her."  
  
"No. That thing was still active after he had died, so it must have been taking orders from someone else! Don't you understand that?"  
  
"I understand you are getting very personally involved, and not looking at the facts as they stand." The reply was cold, and struck Moria like a slap in the face. The Knight Saber paused a moment before continuing, "More then likely, it was obeying it's last command it was given before it's master was murdered."  
  
Moria just looked at the Knight Saber, her face slowly changing from shock to anger. However, it was Kou that would speak first. "Thank you, for your assistance in these matters. I am satisfied for now that you have completed your end of the bargain, though if you come across anything else, I would be grateful personally if you would let me know." He bowed in respect, as the Knight Saber did the same. "You can expect your payment wired in by tomorrow."  
  
"Thank you, Sir. Now, if you will pardon me, I have other pressing matters I must attend to." She turned calmly to Moria, who still was obviously wounded from before. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Though I pray next time it will be on better terms." She bowed to Moria before turning and jumping out of the vault, and out of sight.  
  
Moria, however, did not bow, and she watched as the Saber faded from view.  
  
"You should have more respect for those who help you out, Moria." Kou's words could have been friendly advice, but she somehow doubted it.  
  
"I don't pay liars with respect."  
  
"There are still questions, yes. But they would not have hidden anything involving Reika Chan. That is what they were contracted to find out, and they have done so." He turned and began to climb back to the car. "Come. We have to report these events."  
  
Moria stayed a moment longer, turning to the fault keeping her face hidden from Kou. "Maybe, but my affairs are deeper then that. If they are hiding something, they will pay... I swear it." She turned back to Kou, resolution in her steps as she also began to climb.

* * *

He was now inside. He was wondering how truly sane he was, but he was back inside the ADP headquarters. It had helped that it seemed most security personnel were away from the building, but he still had to be careful. Astis was known by both his face and a missing arm, and he couldn't let himself be seen by the guards who had seen him yesterday.  
  
Still, he had to see Nene one more time. He had to make sure she was alright before he left the city entirely. After all, it was him that caused her to need medical attention. He stepped out of the elevator and strolled into the hallway, as confident looking as ever, keeping perfect stride as he approached the nurse at the front desk.  
  
For her part, the nurse didn't look up. "Can I help you, sir?" came the casual response.  
  
"Yes, please. I'm looking for a Nene Romanova. I was told she was being treated here?" he replied.  
  
The nurse only now looked up at him. "You too? She has been quite popular today."  
  
Astis was silent. He had a good guess who would go visit her, but he wouldn't say anything now. The nurse didn't recognize him. She wouldn't and he knew it. He had risked using his modem one last time to alter the information on him. They would find out fairly soon, but too late to catch him. He would be long gone.  
  
"Mustn't have been friends of yours then. Ah well. She is in room 18. But please, be quick, she needs her rest still."  
  
"Of course. Thank you very much." Without another word, he made his way in the same stride to Nene's room and knocked.  
  
He heard Nene moan slightly as a human tends to do when first awakened. "Who is it?" came the sleepy reply.  
  
"Hello, Nene. It's me." He heard her gasp, and spoke quickly before his name could be mentioned. "May I come in?"  
  
"Yes... yes of course."  
  
He opened the door and stepped inside, where Nene sat on her bed, wide-eyed with d. "Hello, Nene. It's good to see you feeling better already."  
  
"What are you doing here?" Nene managed to stammer. "If they find you here, you are going to be nothing but scrap!"  
  
"Please don't worry about it. I made sure I have the time," he looked in her eyes, and the concern genuinely touched him. "Listen, I had to make sure you were alright... and explain a few things."  
  
"Explain what? What could be so important as to risk..."  
  
Astis interrupted her, "Nene. Back when you got hurt, I heard you talk to yourself when you saw..." He decided not to finish the statement, considering where they were. He gestured to his remaining arm waiting for her to nod understand. "I just felt..."  
  
"Astis... it's alright. I understand." Her tone was calm and maybe a little soft, as if the fact that he wanted to talk on it touched her. But her urgency returned. "But you don't have much time. Please. Get going before you get caught!"  
  
Astis nodded. "Alright. I'm going. May me meet again one day, Nene. Farewell." With a bow, he turned and walked out of the door, out of the building, and soon, out of the city.

* * *

She sipped at her wine slowly and watched the horizon. The sun was setting, and normally she would watch the beauty of the horizon at this time. Now, however, her mind was not on the scene before her. Instead, it traveled down paths she could imagining happening in the future. She knew he was still out there, and more importantly, that he was still plotting to wipe out the entire human race.  
  
"How? How did Largo survive?" she asked herself, barely mouthing the words. But she already had an idea of how that happened too. If she was right, then she was a fool for ever considering the idea that she had killed him last time.  
  
She tried to take some relief in the fact that she and her friends had stopped him this time, but she knew that too, was also foolish. "He will be back. With how he is now, we got off easy." With a sigh, she took another sip.  
  
"But what can we do? We can only stop him for so long... then we will be gone," she added to herself, unable to bring herself to even consider the conclusion. She knew she couldn't stop him now. It would be impossible without wiping out technology. He was now immortal, and as such, time was forever on his side. Knowing her odds, she sipped again and looked out into the horizon, it's beauty lost on her rather hopeless mood. And somewhere over the horizon, she could swear she heard him laughing at her.  
  
The End 


End file.
